Chef of the Year – 2025

This category is for a body of work produced over 12 months in the catering industry. This entry should include the chef’s body of work from January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024. This entry is not anonymous.

Please format your entry as follows:

1. Compose a one-page synopsis describing why the nominee deserves to be Chef of the Year. Also, include the volume of work within the time frame.

2. Chef of the Year is a culmination of all the CATIE categories. The Chef should demonstrate his or her range of culinary expertise and skill to the judges. Please submit collateral that best exemplifies the chef’s scope of work for this year in all of the following categories.
• Food Concepts /Trends             • Amuse Bouche 
• Menu Design                                • Hors D’oeuvre
• Plate Presentation                      • Appetizer
• Buffet/ Action Station                • Entrée
• Small Plate                                  • Vegetarian/Vegan Entree
• Dessert / Pastry
Nominee may showcase more than one item in any of the above categories but must have minimum of one example in each of the above categories.

For each item showcased please include:
• Photographs- Maximum number of photos is 30 and they must be at least 300 dpi at 8x10.
A collage may be used and counts as one image.
• Name & Date of the event(s) of the photograph
• Brief description of the product in the photograph
• Sample Recipes

3. ICA specific services or involvement

4. Resume

5. Awards/Accolades/Press

6. Organization Chart of Culinary Team

7. Letters of Recommendation (4) from an ICA Chef, a Client, an Employee and an Owner/Manager of your company. (If the Chef of the Year candidate is the Owner/Manager, please get another Client Letter of Recommendation)

8. Any extracurricular activities documentation

CATIES Official Rules
By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the official rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements in the official rules.

By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photographs/images are an original work created solely by the entrant, that the images do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the images.

If the images contain any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the images, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the image, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph by ICA without compensation.

Winners will be chosen by ICA or judges selected by ICA, in their sole discretion. Winners will be notified by ICA. All decisions by ICA and/or the judges are final and binding.

By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide non-exclusive, royalty-free license to ICA, to reproduce, distribute, display and otherwise use the images in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Additionally, by entering, each entrant grants to ICA the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Contest, and the names, personal data, pictures or likenesses of Contest entrants, or choose not to do so, in its sole discretion.

Judging Criteria and Scoring Values
•Nomination description and volume of work for 2024: 20 points
•Range of culinary expertise and skill: 20 points
•ICA specific services: 20 points
•Resume: 10 points
•Awards/Accolades/Press 5 points
•Organization Chart 5 points
• Letters of Recommendation 10 points
•Extracurricular activities: 10 points
Chefs that win this prestigious award can re-apply after 3 years