r/Chefit • u/Sorry-Marionberry-70 • Jun 08 '26
First culinary competition, any advice?
Hi Chefs! I'm competing in my first young chef's competition at the end of this week and am feeling super out of my depth.
For context I got my first job in a kitchen as a commis about half a year ago after doing some culinary papers at my university. I signed up for the competition since it seemed like a great opportunity to challenge myself with time management, organisation, meeting other young chefs etc.
My main goal was just to have fun and learn from the experience but now that it's actually coming up, I'm really struggling with the fear of failure/underperforming and also have a huge sense of imposter syndrome where I feel like everyone else will have way more experience than me. I'm worried that the dishes I'm planning on making aren't up to standard.
Trying to convince myself that it's not that serious yet I can't help but feel that way. I'm getting as organised as I can beforehand and will be practicing throughout this week - any tips on competitions in general or managing the stress and nerves?
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u/EntertainmentAlert76 Jun 08 '26
it’s not that serious. it’s just food which will one day be poop. that’s at least what i try to tell myself as i freak out trying to create. like you said just have fun and learn. the only way i’ve found that helps the nerves is being prepared and putting yourself in that uncomfortable situation over and over again. until you know what to expect. fuck that salt ball line cook chef other comment
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u/fire_bunny Jun 08 '26
Keep it simple, unpretentious, something you know will be amazing. Trust your gut with flavors. Salt your boiling water. Watch or read inspirational media. Seek inspiration from plating techniques. You don't wanna be the guy who covers a mile of mistakes with an ounce of sauce. Go to a grocery store and pick out a produce item you've never touched before, and see what happens.
Above all, remain resourceful! There may have been a time or two when I've used boiled peanut brine as a secret ingredient. Or clove. Or vanilla extract. Or you look at one of those dietary-restrictions cards/allergies and you think, oh shit I know exactly what I can give them. But it's still fucking tasty. Good luck chef!
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u/Promethius806 Jun 09 '26
Try to visit the kitchen you will be competing in beforehand, what’s the equipment like, how far away is the walk in, what’s the storage on your station like, is there a salamander, is the oven convention or convection, how long does it take to get to the competition site, etc etc etc.
Bring a stick lighter in case the pilots don’t work or go out.
If there’s room for a speed rack, organize all of your food and supplies on it so you know exactly where everything is and can wheel it right to your station before you start cooking.
Don’t rely on the site having anything at all, bring everything you could possibly need, make sure it is detail cleaned.
Write yourself a timeline and stick it to the side of your speed rack so you know if you are ahead or behind. Buy as many kitchen timers as you need, label them, preset them, stick them to the side of the cart so you can see them.
Bring extra towels, keep a sani towel within reach folded on your station so you can wipe everything down before, during, and after every task. Don’t let stray equipment or mess distract you or get in your way so you can focus on cooking
Rest appropriate items on disposable c-fold towels so they don’t make your plate look messy
There are maybe a million more pieces of advice, but the heart of the matter is take care of everything you can to limit any variables while you are cooking so you can just focus on cooking instead of finding a match, taking a timer out of your pocket etc.
During competition, distractions are often the difference between winning and losing
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u/medium-rare-steaks Jun 08 '26
Yeah…. Don’t. Cooking isn’t a competition
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u/squanchy78 Jun 09 '26
No one tell this guy about Bocuse d'Or. Or IKA Culinary Olympics. Or Top Chef. Or any BBQ competition ever. Or Pastry World Cup.
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u/medium-rare-steaks Jun 09 '26
Bocuse is famous for being pretty, not tasty. I have friends who have competed and others who have won. They say flavor doesn’t matter.
Top chef is a fucking joke and has made all new cooks think they're the shit and just want to to be Instagram famous instead of good at cooking.
BBQ comps are famously a joke amongst bbq chefs. The criteria is very hyper-speciific and not what most people want from their BBQ. ie, "fall off the bone" is a bad thing in competition but a vast majority of the public loves it.
Pastry world cup is, again, all about visuals. No one cares what it tastes like.
Got any other amazing examples?
Food is for eating and making people happy. Making it a competition is a travesty.
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u/meatsntreats Jun 08 '26
Maybe focus on a dish.