RULES

Rules and Governance

MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

Professional Conduct Standards

Members of Chefs League International Association are committed to representing the highest ethical and professional standards of the international culinary community. The following principles form the foundation of every member's activity.

  1. 01

    Professionalism and Respect

    It is mandatory to treat other members, judges and organisation representatives with respect at all events, competitions and public meetings.

  2. 02

    Honesty and Transparency

    All personal information, including certificate and experience details, must be presented accurately and completely.

  3. 03

    Brand Reputation Protection

    Using membership status for personal commercial purposes is prohibited. The Chefs League name may only be used in an official context.

  4. 04

    Knowledge Sharing

    Members are committed to contributing to the development of culinary arts, supporting young chefs and promoting knowledge transfer.

  5. 05

    Conflict Resolution

    Disputed matters must be resolved through official channels in a bottom-up manner and must not be brought to public platforms for discussion.

  6. 06

    Payment of Membership Fee

    Membership fees must be paid on time. Late payments may result in temporary suspension of membership status.

  7. 07

    Confidentiality Obligation

    Recipes of competition participants, member information and internal documents must be kept confidential and not shared with third parties.

  8. 08

    Consequences of Code Violations

    Those who violate the code of conduct will be subject to various sanctions, including written warnings, temporary suspension or termination of membership.

COMPETITION RULES

Competition Regulations

General Rules

  1. Participants must register at least 30 days before the competition.
  2. Each participant may compete in only one category; double registration is prohibited.
  3. All products to be used must be declared in advance on the registration form.
  4. Mobile phone use during the competition is only permitted with the written consent of the judges.
  5. Participants may not leave their designated workstation.
  6. Accepting outside assistance leads to immediate disqualification.

Presentation Rules

  1. Dishes must be submitted on time for the judges' evaluation.
  2. The plate design must complement the culinary content while preserving aesthetic integrity.
  3. A written recipe and technical card must be ready for each plate.
  4. The use of artificial colours, flavourings and ready-made sauces is prohibited.
  5. Allergen information must be clearly labelled.
  6. A participant may not speak with the judges during evaluation.
JUDGE ETHICS

"Fair evaluation is not just knowledge — it is conscience. A judge opens or closes a chef's career with their decision. To carry this responsibility with honour is a sacred duty for every judge."

— Chefs League Ethics Committee
  • 01
    Independence

    Judges may not accept any material or non-material gift from competition participants.

  • 02
    Conflict of Interest

    A judge whose own student, family member or business partner is participating in the competition must recuse themselves.

  • 03
    Confidentiality of Evaluation

    All scores must be kept confidential until the official announcement and must not be discussed with any person.

  • 04
    Objectivity

    Evaluation must be based solely on the established culinary criteria; personal taste or acquaintance is not counted.

  • 05
    Professional Communication

    All communication with participants during the competition must be formal, brief and must not go beyond the procedural framework.

  • 06
    Accountability

    Every judge must justify their scores in writing; in the event of an objection, documents are submitted to the Ethics Committee.

DOCUMENTS

Official Documents

PDF

Full Rules Document

Chefs League full membership rules, rights and obligations.

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PDF

Competition Regulations

Official regulations and technical requirements for international competitions.

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PDF

Code of Ethics

Full code of ethics document for judges and members.

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PDF

Membership Agreement

Official membership agreement terms and signature form.

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