Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship: Semi-Finalists Revealed

Le Cordon Bleu London has officially unveiled the 32 semi-finalists for its 2025 Scholarship Award. This year’s competition marks the institution’s 130th anniversary and comes with an “unprecedented prize package” worth over £90,000. The majority of this year’s finalists for the prestigious award are London locals, but the final also features aspiring chefs from Northern Ireland, Aberdeen, and South Wales.

This landmark scholarship is one of the most prestigious accolades for emerging culinary talent in the country. The winner will receive a full scholarship for the Grand Diplôme, Le Cordon Bleu’s nine-month master qualification, a globally recognised benchmark of excellence in the classical French techniques that form the foundation of fine dining.

In addition, the winner will receive a three-month internship at the acclaimed CORD by Le Cordon Bleu restaurant, the first fine dining restaurant by Le Cordon Bleu in London, located off Fleet Street in the City. In 2025, the restaurant was awarded the AA 3-Rosette Award, recognising its commitment to culinary excellence.

The prize also includes mentorship from culinary titans Michel Roux Jr. and Chris Galvina stay at The Savoy, and 12 months of London accommodation from partner Londonist.

Le Cordon Bleu London 2025 Scholarship Award runners up

This year Le Cordon Bleu has expanded the awards to include two runners-up. The second-place winner will receive a place on either the Basic Cuisine or Basic Pâtisserie three-month programme, while the third-place winner will earn a spot on the Food Photography course. Both will gain a two-week work experience placement at CORD restaurant.

After reaching the semi-final, the next challenge for the 32 aspiring cooks will involve a series of demanding trials at Le Cordon Bleu’s historic Bloomsbury Institute in London. These include an intensive one-on-one interview with the judging panel, a written quiz to assess their theoretical knowledge, and a sensory challenge designed to evaluate their palate, precision, and understanding of flavour profiles.

Following this intense stage, the successful finalists will be announced, advancing to the grand finale in September. This final test will see them compete in a live culinary challenge at CORD restaurant, a fittingly high-stakes environment for the crowning of the 2025 scholar.

Le Cordon Bleu London’s culinary arts director, chef Emil Minev said: “This year’s competition marks a major milestone for Le Cordon Bleu, and the level of talent we’ve seen has been nothing short of inspiring. We are thrilled to welcome our semi-finalists to the next stage and look forward to an exciting semi-final.”