£5000 OCC SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
Annual scholarships for young hospitality professionals and students, offered by the Oxford Cultural Collective (OCC), are open for applications.
Applicants are invited to propose a personal or professional development project that reflects their aspirations and passions and that will have a lasting impact on society. OCC places no limits on applicants’ creativity, and is hoping to find and support those who have the potential to change industry and society for the better.
Two £5000 awards are available – the Lou Willcock Scholarship, which reflects the inherent creativity of the hospitality sector, and the Golden Chopsticks Scholarship, the first of its kind in the UK specifically for those with a professional interest in the food and hospitality of East and Southeast Asia.
In addition to a financial award, recipients receive professional mentoring support for a period of one year, to support their professional development.
Commenting on the launch of this year’s scholarships, Ben McEwen, Chair of the OCC’s charitable trust: “Unlike many recognition programmes that exist for young hospitality professionals, we offer substantial financial grants and comprehensive mentoring. Over time we aim to create a community of highly talented scholarship winners, who will be the changemakers of the future, building successful careers, whilst also achieving positive impacts for industry and society.”
Jack Feeny, chef and founder of online platform No Mise en Plastic, has become an enthusiastic ambassador for this initiative since winning the Lou Willcock Scholarship in 2023: “It completely changed my life. The whole process has laid the foundation for the work we are now doing. For those with great ideas they believe could help change our industry, I would really recommend applying for this amazing opportunity.”
In addition to scholarships, OCC offers the Yan-Kit So Award, which comes with a £3000 bursary, for those who are planning to write their first cookbook or work of non-fiction focused on any aspect of Asian food culture.
Applications are open until 26th September 2025, and the winners will be announced in mid-November.
Follow this link, for full details of scholarships and awards, including how to enter.
With special thanks to our sponsors
Claire Enders CBE, Mike Day, Robbin Sheppard and Professor David Russell and Michelle Harbour of the Russell Partnership Collection
