Prestigious North East culinary awards to showcase the talents of chefs across the region

The North East Culinary and Trade Awards (NECTA) are to make a return for 2024, to showcase the culinary excellence of individuals and restaurants across the region. 

The prestigious awards will celebrate the outstanding talent of those who work in the culinary industry, while also featuring a host of competitions to give chefs the opportunity to shine. 

Held at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Monday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 14, NECTA 2024 will host the highly anticipated Inter-College competitions, the North East Chef of the Year competition and the Young Chef of the Year competition.

The winner of the North East Chef of the Year competition, which is sponsored by Crosby's Catering Supplies, will win an exciting prize of a luxurious dinner, bed and breakfast experience at Northumberland Michelin-starred restaurant Hjem. 

The competition has a theme this year of ‘green gastronomy’, with chefs demonstrating knowledge of cooking with key sustainability themes, such as food miles, food waste, climate protection and ethical ingredient sourcing. 

The winner of the Young Chef of the Year competition will be a two-week internship as well as an foraging masterclass at Michelin-starred Restaurant Pine.

This particular competition offers talented young chefs under the age of 23 the opportunity to showcase their skills while gaining exposure in the industry.

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Finally, the Inter-College competitions will see students across leading colleges in the region participate in skills-based demonstrations. 

Chris Jewitt, founder of Food and Drink North East and Chair of NECTA says, “NECTA is the only dedicated regional culinary competition in the North East and we are delighted to again be hosting North East Chef of The Year, Young Chef of The Year and our esteemed Inter-College competitions.

“The opportunity to influence the direction of the region's hospitality industry, and inspire and witness the next generation of North East chefs and front-of-house leaders, is an experience we should all embrace. It is our ambition to nurture a world-class food, drink and hospitality economy, creating a region of sustainable gastronomy and an industry built on quality, heritage, authenticity and retaining the North East's best talent. NECTA plays a huge role in that mission.”