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. 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.

Competition Date: 23/3/2026
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, chefs with one member being aged 23 years or younger.
Competition Requirements: To produce a two-course meal for 4 people (one main and one dessert).
Competition Date: 23/3/2026

Prizes:
– 1st prize € 2500
– 2nd prize: €1500
– 3rd prize: € 1000

Duration of cook off: 3 hrs
Please note that ingredients need to be supplied by participating competitors.

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. 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. Two heats will take place:

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

Finalists will be selected from all applicants and 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. The winners will be selected from across both heats and will be announced on the evening of the event, when they will be presented with their prizes and cheques. The judges’ decision on the day will be final and will be 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 two competition heats, the winners will be announced at drinks & nibbles event on the evening of the competition.