How to Enter Riso Gallo’s Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2023 Competition

Now in it’s sixth year, the Riso Gallo competition, which is aimed at young chefs aged between 17 and 23 years old see entrants from across the UK and Ireland compete to win a life changing all-expenses paid work experience trip in Italy. 

The competition, which closes soon (14th December), asks entrants to produce, photograph and tell the judges why they have selected their risotto dish and those lucky enough to be chosen for the regional heats will be asked to produce their recipe to a panel of judges. For 2023’s competition the North regional heat will take place on Friday 13th January at Middlesbrough College and those who make it through the regional finals will have their dishes judged by professional chefs at the top of their game at the Grand Final in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 3rd April. It’s here that the winner will be crowned the Riso Gallo UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2023.

Over the last 160 years Riso Gallo has built a reputation throughout the world as a premium producer of Italian and speciality rice products, enjoyed by everyone from Michelin-starred chefs to home cooks, selling more than 50 million packets around the world. Their mission is to spread the culture of rice and risotto throughout the world by using innovation that constantly adapts to the needs of the modern consumer. Relying on their experience to develop the finest varieties of rice with genuine taste and products which are easy to prepare, Riso Gallo now have a range of rice which ranges from traditional sustainable white rice to speciality three grain mixes and Rustico black rice.

To get a taste, we were invited down to Delifresh in Cramlington to find out more about the competition. We were joined in the cooking demonstration kitchen by some of the North East’s leading chefs including chefs from Newcastle’s Blackfriars, SIX Baltic Restaurant and Northumberland’s Beadnell Towers to hear more about how young, local chefs can get involved. 

During the event Paul Gayler MBE hosted a living cooking demonstration showing us how easy, practical and tasty Riso Gallo products are. We sampled everything from Lebanese aranchini using the Gallo Saffron as a base to Porcini risotto with coffee using Gallo Porcini, as well as Catalan cinnamon rice pudding using Gallo Arborio rice. 

Now Riso Gallo are giving one lucky winner of the Riso Gallo’s Young Risotto Chef of the Year the chance to win an all expenses paid three-day work experience in Italy. Alongside renowned judging chef Fabio Pisani and his team the winner will spend time at the two Michelin-starred Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan mastering their skills. 

If you know a young chef who could be the next Risotto Chef of the Year, they can enter the competition now at youngrisottochef.com. Entries close on 14th December. Good luck!