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The competition was open to all staff that hold a kitchen-based post and who are involved in the daily preparation of students’ meals. Competitors are required to prepare cook and present four portions of a Grab ‘N’ Go savoury snack with a total cost per head of 85p.

Three finalists will be invited to the School Food Show on Tuesday 7th July 2026 to cook their Grab ‘N’ Go item in a competition environment to decide the winner.

Marks are awarded for originality of the finished dish, ease of eating on the go, practicality of the dish in a school setting, how well the flavours and ingredients work together, variety of textures in the finished dish, appealing to look at and appealing taste of the finished dish.

The nine school chefs include:

• Mark Kent from Impact Food Group: Taiwanese Five Spice Chicken, Crispy Scallion Pancake, Asian Slaw and Chilli Sauce
• Asmaa Abdelrhman from Impact Food Group: Chicken Crepe (Street Food Style)
• Ulisse Di Benedetto from Stir Food Ltd: Steak ‘n’ Sourdough
• Tim Fletcher from Clifton High School: Mac 'n' Cheese 99
• Moises Catalan from Olive Dining: Chillean Sopaipillas spice box with curry sauce
• Tom Ware from Winterbourne Academy: Hot Honey Plant Waffle Taco
• Joaquin Munoz from Doncaster Council: Paella on the Move: The Chorizo Free Fiesta
• Sarah Eastwood from Impact Food Group: Vegan Krispy katsu aubergine wrap
• Rose Simpson from Lancashire County Council: Vegan hash wrap

The overall winner will be announced at the Informal Dinner on Tuesday 7th July. The winner will demonstrate their winning recipe on the School Food Live demonstration theatre at the School Food Show & Forum on Wednesday 8th July.

SchoolGrid, which has 19 years of experience in school catering software, sponsors the event as part of its commitment to supporting frontline staff and promoting excellence in school food.

The winner will receive £500 in cash plus a professional set of Wüsthof chef’s knives worth £500, donated by SchoolGrid. Prizes are also awarded for second and third place.