Chef Mathew Shropshall

Chef Lecturer at Birmingham College of Food, National England Junior Team Manager, British Culinary Federation Chairman, World Chefs Vice Chairman of ICD Committee, Best of British BBQ Team Joint Owner.

Mathew Shropshall, Chairman of the British Culinary Federation, has worked at the College of Food for over 26 years, both part-time and full-time, focusing on supporting and seeing people of all ages achieve their dreams by supporting them to work within the catering and hospitality sector. He holds all educational qualifications and certificates plus N.V.Q., HND, B.A. Hons, PGCE and M.A. degree with distinction.

The education of people around the UK has been his motivation, providing guidance to young people, giving up his spare time to support different events and initiatives for those coming into the hospitality industry through Future chef, Young Chefs Academy, LACA, HRC, Nestle Toque d’Or, International Chefs Day etc. There are very few Chef Lecturers to have had so much involvement with the education of future chefs, as well as giving so much back to the industry, which earned him the title “Craft Guild of Chefs Chef Lecturer of the Year 2017” along with many more industry awards.

Formerly a Chef Patron at an early age with running his own business for 8 years, Mathew has also trained with many top chefs around the country and worked in New Product Development, before taking up the role of Chef Lecturer, which he has excelled in.  A very committed and busy chef, and while working at UCB as Chef Lecturer, Mathew has been involved with and supported many initiatives in the industry, which have not only benefitted himself and UCB but also his students and the industry. He has not only supported and encouraged his students to enter many competitions, but has also competed himself, standing up to be counted, winning numerous medals and awards.  He has been a huge advocate of the UCB Young Future Chefs Academy, giving up his Saturday mornings teaching and encouraging young schoolchildren to cook and to try and attract them into the industry for over 17 years.

Currently, England’s National Junior Team Manager for the British Culinary Federation, a position he has held for 12 years, attaining Gold, silver & bronze medal standards at the Culinary World Cup, Battle for the Dragon and the Culinary Olympics with every entry and visit.

Mathew gives so much more up and above his full-time role.  Not only with England’s Junior Team but with many other important industry events, including:

Judge and Mentor of Springboard’s Future Chef; LACA and at HRC.  As if all of this was not enough, he has supported Acorns Children’s Hospice, Cancer Research and Air ambulance organising charity football matches over the last 15 years, raising £18,000 pounds to date for the charities.

Awarded the BCF Louis Cipolla Award for huge contributions to the profession and the Paul Gould OBE Award for his contribution in the competition arena.  2023 also saw Mathew’s student competitor win the prestigious Nestle Toque d’Or.  Appointed Vice-Chairman of World Chefs’ International Chefs Day, supported by Nestlé, he helps colleges and schools to get the message out around the world on eating healthy food by producing a promotional video which is sent out to all 110 countries in the World Chefs membership.

Moreover, Mathew finds the time to cook at the Birmingham Christmas Shelter every Christmas for the past 17 years, feeding the homeless and helping them to receive comfort and the feeling of being wanted at this special time of the year.

Mathew remains the face of the 14th edition practical cookery book and enjoys a slower pace of life mentoring and supporting people at UCB as a year manager to the level 4 & 5 FdA Professional chef student while also mentoring the BA CAM & MA students through dissertations and placement around the World.

In 2005 Mathew and his fellow Best of British BBQ Team mates competed in the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships where they secured a winning place in the “I know Jack” BBQ cook-off becoming the best in the World, the team when on to compete for a further 8 years around the World in Canada, 8 states of the USA & Belgium representing Britain on the World stage, 2025 see the team return and begin competing around the World again.

Nothing is ever too much trouble for this passionate and focused individual, and he has devoted so much of his own time to our industry, Country and education of others!