ACF Student Chef of the Year Award
The ACF Student Chef of the Year recognizes a student who possesses a high degree of professionalism, culinary skills and passion for the culinary arts.
History of the Student Chef of the Year Award
The award was established in 1987 by the late Baron Galand, CEC, to help student members establish their position within ACF. From 1987 to 1998, the Student Chef of the Year Award was bestowed upon one national winner during ACF’s national convention. In 1999, however, it was decided that a winner from each ACF region would be chosen. Regional winners advance to the national convention where they vie for the national title. In 2003 a culinary cook-off was introduced at the national convention, and, for the first time, regional finalists competed for the national title.
2026 Regional Qualifier
The ACF Culinary Competition is accepting applications for the 2026 Student Chef of the Year Regional Qualifier Competition. Deadline for submittal is December 31, 2025. Questions may be directed to competitions@acfchefs.org.
2026 Regional Qualifier Schedule
| Region |
Dates |
Location |
| Western |
February 27–28, 2026 |
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
400 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015 |
| Northeast |
March 6–7, 2026 |
Community College of Allegheny County
800 Allegheny Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15233 |
| Central |
March 19–20, 2026 |
The Culinary Institute of Michigan - Muskegon Campus
336 W Clay Ave
Muskegon, MI 49440 |
| Southeast |
March 27–28, 2026 |
Providence Culinary Training
3330 Shorefair Dr
Winston-Salem, NC 27105 |
2025 National Winner