Jack Coghill wins Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year

Jack Coghill of Jack ‘O’Bryan’s Bar and Kitchen in Dunfermline is the 2025 Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year, beating two other young chefs to the title.

The Scottish Excellence Awards, which are widely considered to be Scotland’s premier hospitality awards, include a wide range of categories, from Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year, to Restaurant Newcomer, Best Sustainable Business, Pub Excellence and Employer of the Year.

Having been given the Highly Commended Award in the same category last year, 25-year-old Coghill has achieved his ambition of winning the title outright.

The chef, accompanied by wife Sarah, and mum and dad Michelle and Bryan, along with other Jack ‘O’ Bryan team members, attended the awards ceremony at The Glasgow Hilton on 28 March.

Already a head chef, acclaimed pastry chef and chocolatier, Coghill was deemed to be the most skillful young chef nominated, displaying a high level of passion and commitment to his craft.

“I am absolutely delighted to win Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year,” says the chef. “We had a fantastic night with my nearest and dearest here with me to see me pick up this really impressive, and extremely heavy, trophy! It will take pride of place on the bar at Jack ‘O' Bryan’s first thing tomorrow morning.”

You may also be interested in…