Exeter College learner crowned South West Student Chef of the Year

An Exeter College learner has been crowned Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year at the prestigious South West Chef of the Year 2026 competition.

Michael Caines Academy student Josh Goodman, who works at The Huntsman Inn in Ide alongside his studies at Exeter College, secured the award after impressing a judging panel of some of the South West’s most celebrated chefs.

Josh demonstrated his culinary talents with two accomplished dishes: pan-roasted hake with white bean cassoulet, followed by Faisan à la Normande with celeriac purée and wild foraged mushrooms.

After successfully progressing through the semi-finals, Josh reached the final alongside fellow Exeter College and Michael Caines Academy learner Luca Jokonya, giving the College two representatives at the final stage of the competition.

The finals took place at Exeter College on Tuesday 27 October, with the winners announced at an awards ceremony at Exeter Golf and Country Club later that evening.

Speaking about winning the award, Josh said:

“It was amazing! A massive relief because it’s been lots of practice working on the dishes and finalising everything. It was a lot of evenings in College doing late finishes, staying in to practice, going to places I’ve done work experience before and asking chefs for advice.

“I’ve never done something like this before, and I had to design a menu for all these amazing chefs. When they’re walking around with clipboards and having a look at everything you’re doing, looking in your fridge, it’s a lot of pressure.

“The support from the College was amazing. From helping me practice and trying stuff, saying how I could do things differently, ordering stuff in for me to practice with, and giving me the confidence to do the competition in the first place.”

Paul Carne, Curriculum Area Manager and Michael Caines Academy Tutor at Exeter College, said:

“It’s fantastic to have one of our students win this competition. It’s a great competition, one we’ve been really fortunate to do really well in over the last couple of years, and it just shows the hard work that our students put in and the quality of what they produce.

“Both Luca and Josh helped support last year, and I think that really helped them. It’s so vital to give them and our learners opportunities like these. It’s a total different kind of pressure than you’d get in the kitchen. It gives them that next level of confidence, which then ultimately takes them into the industry.”

Michael Caines MBE DL, said:

“All of our chefs cooked to the very highest standards. This is the only chef competition which caters for the very youngest chefs, through our juniors category, home cooks and professionals. From the standard of cooking displayed, it’s very clear that the future of the industry is in safe hands.”

The judging panel for this year’s competition was led by Michael Caines and included renowned chefs Paul Ainsworth, Matt Mason, Hywel Jones, Nathan Outlaw, Chris Cleghorn and Ian Webber.

Now in its 22nd year, South West Chef of the Year was founded by Michael Caines MBE DL and Julie Harvey to champion professional excellence, nurture emerging talent and celebrate the exceptional food and drink produced across the region.

Exeter College has a long-standing partnership with Michael Caines, hosting the Michael Caines Academy since 2011. The Academy combines professional cookery and hospitality qualifications with industry training, masterclasses, visits and work placements with leading employers.

Academy learners also regularly cook for guests at Exeter College’s student-run @thirty-four restaurant, which received a Food Drink Devon Gold Award for the third consecutive year.

Josh joins a growing list of Exeter College learners and former learners to have achieved success in the competition. They include former Exeter College learner and Michael Caines Academy graduate Harrison Brockington, who won the Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year title in 2016 before returning to take the overall South West Chef of the Year title in 2024. Harrison is now chef-owner of Gather in Totnes and was named the winner of the 2026 Roux Scholarship.

The Overall South West Chef of the Year 2026 winner was Jacob Ashburton-Dunning, 22, from Gidleigh Park in Devon. Jacob was also named Young Professional Chef of the Year and received the award for Best Menu.

The full list of category winners was:

• Overall South West Chef of the Year 2026: Jacob Ashburton-Dunning, Gidleigh Park, Devon
• Professional Chef of the Year: Will Bradridge, Pastry Chef, Gidleigh Park, Devon.
• Young Professional Chef of the Year: Jacob Ashburton-Dunning, Gidleigh Park, Devon
• Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year: Josh Goodman, Exeter College and The Huntsman Inn, Ide, Devon.
• Home Cook of the Year: Dave Morgan, Bristol.
• South West Junior Chef of the Year: Hesali Galuge, 15, from Penair Secondary School, Truro, Cornwall.

Entries for South West Chef of the Year 2027 will open in spring.

Explore Exeter College’s range of hospitality courses online in the 2027/28 prospectus: https://exe-coll.ac.uk/school-leavers/course-guide/

Learn more about the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College: https://exe-coll.ac.uk/school-leavers/academies/michael-caines-academy/