Entries open for the Joe Shannon Culinary Competition

Established in 2025, the Joe Shannon Culinary Competition continues to honour the life and legacy of the much-loved Joe Shannon.

Established in 2025, the Joe Shannon Culinary Competition continues to honour the life and legacy of the much-loved Joe Shannon. Joe served as Executive Chef at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Sligo for many years, where he gave so generously of his time, talent and heart to those around him.

He was deeply committed to nurturing young chefs, mentoring, encouraging and supporting people at every stage of their journey. Joe was never too busy to lend a hand, share thoughtful advice or offer reassurance when it was needed most. Through countless initiatives and everyday acts of kindness, he made a lasting difference to people from all walks of life.

Respected as an industry leader and cherished as a colleague and friend, Joe’s influence continues to be felt well beyond the kitchen. The Joe Shannon Culinary Competition celebrates Joe’s love of entertaining and his enduring passion for people, food and cooking, carrying forward the values he lived by and shared so freely with others.

Ignite Your Inspiration: A Professional Chef’s Chance to Shine

• Competition Date: 23/03/2026
• Venue Location: Unilever Kitchen, Dublin
• National Digital Park, 20 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland
• Competition Theme: Modern sustainable cuisine focusing on Irish food produce and reduced food waste.
• Applicants: Professional chefs of any grade may apply as a single competitor or in a team of two, with one member aged 23 years or younger.
• Competition Requirements: Produce a two-course meal for 4 people (one main course and one dessert).
• Duration of Cook-Off: 3 hours

Please note that ingredients must be supplied by participating competitors.

Prizes

• 1st Prize: €2,500
• 2nd Prize: €1,500
• 3rd Prize: €1,000

Application Details

Submission Deadline: March 6th, 2026

Required Entry Application Documents:

• Name of applicant(s) with contact details (email and phone)
• Outline of suggested dishes and key ingredients
• Images of both dishes
• Short description of each dish

Applications to be sent to: s.matz@clistehospitality.ie

Twelve entries will be selected and invited to the Competition Cook-Off on March 23rd, 2026. Selected participants will be notified no later than March 12th, 2026.

Judges

• 1 Celebrity Chef
• Executive Chef of the Inua Collection of Hotels
• 1 Cliste Hospitality Senior Management Member

Selection Process

There will be 12 finalists selected from all entries, who will be invited to attend the cook-off in Dublin on March 23rd, 2026.

Two Heats:

• Heat 1: 9:30am – 12:30pm
• Heat 2: 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Finalists will be allocated to either Heat 1 or Heat 2. Six finalist places will be awarded to chefs working within the iNUA Collection of Hotels, and six finalists will be selected from independent applicants.

All required ingredients must be provided by the finalists. A list of kitchen equipment and tools available on the day will be circulated prior to the event, allowing finalists to bring any additional items they may require.

Winners will be selected across both heats and announced on the evening of the event, where they will be presented with their prizes and cheques.

The judges’ decision on the day will be final and based on the judging criteria of the World Chefs Association. The judging criteria may be requested by finalists in advance of the competition.

Any photographs or video footage taken before or during the cook-off may be used for promotional purposes.

Announcement of Winners

Following the two competition heats, winners will be announced at a drinks & nibbles event on the evening of the competition.