Searcys Chef enters National Chef of the Year semi-finials

A huge congratulations to our Searcys head chef at Guards Polo Club, Grahame Wickham, who has been named one of the 40 semi-finalists of this year’s National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) competition. All contestants were asked to develop a three-course menu following a brief set by chair of judges, Kenny Atkinson. All entries were judged anonymously, and different judges were responsible for scoring each course. For the next stage of the competition, candidates must create a signature vegan dish suitable as an amuse-bouche or small first course. They must also provide further information on their three-course menu.

Graham joined Searcys in Spring 2023, after having served 13 years as a chef in the British Army reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant deployed across the world including stints in Afghanistan, Kenya, The Falklands Islands, Morocco and Sierra Leone. He has cooked for numerous members of the Royal Family and VVIP guests from around the world.

Passionate about food, Grahame has competed both nationally and internationally over the last number of years. A strong team player saw he was selected to represent the Combined Services Culinary Arts Team at the Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart in 2020 before being made the Vice-Captain for the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in 2022. He previously made it to the quarter-finals of Masterchef the Professionals and in 2022 made the finals of National Chef of the Year where he competed against some of the best chefs from across the UK.