In light of the current situation surrounding COVID-19 and the advice from Public Health England, Katya Simmons, Managing Director of Nestle Professional® UK & Ireland, has confirmed that the Toque d’Or 2020 Grand Finals and Awards, set to take place in April and June, have now been postponed until later in the year.

Speaking about the decision Katya said: “This was a difficult decision, however, the health and wellbeing of our competitors, colleagues, partners and customers is our top priority. Whilst a new date has not yet been set, we will continue to monitor the situation and keep everyone updated on plans as we move into a position of being able to make new arrangements.

We’ve had a successful year so far for Toque d’Or 2020, with the National Heats taking place earlier this month, where we announced the 24 talented apprentices and college students that will compete in the Grand Finals. Reaching the final is no mean feat and we look forward to seeing how the competition progresses later in the year with challenges designed to push the competitors to their limits around the Toque d’Or 2020 theme of sustainability.

Whilst the Grand Final has been postponed, the Toque d’Or community will continue to spread messages of positivity with a digital challenge on Instagram to ensure the creative juices keep flowing for our finalists. We want to continue to showcase the best of our industry and demonstrate how, when we pull together, we come out stronger.

This is a tough time for the hospitality industry and there is a lot of uncertainty around what the future holds. At Toque d’Or, our ethos has always been focused on supporting the sustainability of careers and the wider industry, and we appreciate this is now more important than ever. We are constantly inspired by the resilience of our industry and know that we will support each other through this time.

If you would like to keep updated on the competition, see some of the highlights from the recent heats and support our finalists through their digital channels, please do follow us on social media @nestletoquedor and #toquedor2020.”

For more information about Nestlé Professional® Toque d’Or® 2020 visit https://www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/toque-dor.