Aspiring chef Sonny Franklin has reached the grand final to win the £90,000 scholarship
Sonny Franklin from Liverpool has achieved one of the grand final spots in a fiercely competitive selection process, granting one winner a full scholarship to train at Le Cordon Bleu London, alongside an internship at its acclaimed Fleet Street restaurant, CORD. Awarded this September, the prize is worth over £90,000 and will provide invaluable training and mentorship at one of the country’s leading restaurants.
This year’s scholarship will mark 130 years of the annual programme.
The lineup of finalists was announced following two days of intense competition at the brand’s Bloomsbury Institute earlier this month, where 16 talented individuals were selected to move forward to the grand final, which will take place on Monday 8 September 2025.
The finalists for the 2025 Le Cordon Bleu London 130th Anniversary Scholarship are:
- Kiren Agravat, Cheshire
- Shay' Oluwaseun Akindeinde, Hitchin
- Daria Boichenko, Bournemouth
- Maisie Burns-Clarke, Leeds
- Raman Dhaliwal, Coventry
- Luke Dorning, Cardiff
- Sonny Franklin, Liverpool
- Sam Gilbert, Bristol
- Ruby Goodens, Hull
- Daniel Hogarty, London
- Jane Hong, London
- Emma Keenan, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
- Melissa Kuo, London
- Adiputra Mehanda, London
- Bethany Walker, Newcastle
- Hugh Walker, London
The finalists will go head to head in a culinary challenge set by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs before presenting their work to a judging panel of some of the best chefs in the industry, including Emily Roux from Caractère, Chris Galvin from Galvin Restaurants, Nicolas Houchet from The Savoy and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Director Emil Minev.
The winner will receive a life-changing prize worth over £90,000, including full scholarship for the renowned Grand Diplôme®, a three-month internship at CORD, mentorship from celebrated chefs such as Michel Roux Jr. and Chris Galvin, 12 months’ accommodation in London, an overnight stay at The Savoy, and more.
The second and third runners-up will also receive fantastic prizes this year, including three-months study on a Basic Cuisine or Pâtisserie Certificate, a two-week stage at Cord restaurant and prizes from the Savoy and Phaidon, all designed to accelerate their culinary careers.
Emil Minev, Culinary Arts Director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said “This year's competition has already showcased an inspiring level of talent. The semi-finalists performed incredibly well, and narrowing down to just 16 finalists was no easy task. We look forward to welcoming them back for the grand final in September and seeing them rise to the next challenge.”
For more information and to keep up to date with the competition, click here.
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