The British Culinary Federation (BCF) hosted its prestigious Chef of the Year Dinner and Awards, where finalists gathered for an evening of celebration.

The ceremony on June 23 honoured outstanding chefs who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, skill, and leadership in UK kitchens over the past year. Following a multi-course dinner prepared by some of the industry’s finest, the coveted 2025 BCF Chef of the Year title was awarded in front of peers, mentors, and media.

Throughout the day, finalists were working hard in the kitchens infront of Michelin-starred chef judges. 

Read more: British Culinary Federation announce finalist line-up

This year’s judging panel featured an impressive lineup of industry leaders: Fabrice Uhryn (The Waterside Inn), Daniel Stucki (Sketch), Aktar Islam (Opheem), Adam Smith (Coworth Park), Rachel Humphry (Chez Roux) and former winner Kevin Buck (Fantomas).

The top prize included a £2,000 cash award, a commemorative plate, a framed certificate, and an exclusive chef’s trip to Ireland, sponsored by Aubrey Allen and Bord Bia.

Now, we can reveal that this year's winner of BCF is Aaron Blais from The Ritz. 

Kristian Curtis - The Table, De Banke Group, came third in the competition followed by Harvey Perttola – Dunbia Cross Hands, Llanelli.

THIS YEAR'S WINNER

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Aaron trained in classical techniques and worked his way up through prestigious kitchens, before relocating to London.

He has worked at The Ritz for the past six years. 

He said: "I just won the chef of the year award from BCF feeling very excited. Just wanna say big shout out. Thank you to the Ritz, thank you to Chef John Williams, Deepak Mallya, Ian Musgrove. Lots of effort has gone into this and it's paid off so thank you. 

written by abi kinsella