Global Burger Challenge back for 2027
The burger is back as Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Food and Drink Federation Scotland (FDF Scotland) announce the return of the Global Burger Challenge for 2027.
They are challenging secondary school pupils across Scotland design their very own burger inspired by a country or continent, incorporating delicious Scottish red meat.
The Global Burger Challenge.
More than a cooking contest - it offers a deep dive into the business and science of food.
By stepping into the shoes of food product developers, students will design a new burger patty inspired by global cuisines. The practical approach allows young people to explore the complexities of the supply chain, the importance of red meat provenance and the diverse careers that keep Scotland’s food and drink sector thriving.
More than a cooking competition, the challenge brings together practical cookery, food science, provenance, sustainability, costings, marketing and careers education.
For 2027, the competition will once again run across two categories: S1–S3 pupils and S4–S6 pupils. The format allows younger learners to build confidence in food education while older pupils can apply more advanced skills in recipe reformulation, technical development, supply chain thinking and commercial planning.
Participants are tasked with creating a burger that reflects the flavours, ingredients and traditions of a chosen country or continent. Each recipe must include 100g of either Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Prime Scottish Pork, helping pupils understand the value of high-quality, traceable Scottish red meat as part of a balanced diet.
The design brief
Using the Make it Scotch Education Hub resources as a foundation, pupils will evaluate their burger concepts against a broad brief covering authentic global flavours, nutrition, environmental impact, production costs, retail or foodservice potential, packaging, marketing and the range of careers involved in bringing a food product to market.
Last year’s competition saw pupils Ellen Lauder from Moffat Academy and Zuzanna Lewandowska from Trinity Academy take the top spots in the S1–S3 and S4–S6 categories respectively. Ellen’s Pork and Pip Burger used Roman-inspired flavours to balance pork and apple, while Zuzanna’s Garlick Tastic Burger drew on Polish flavours including pickles, garlic and cucumber, with locally sourced meat at the heart of the concept.
How to get involved
We are calling on our industry partners to help inspire the next generation of food and drink talent by sharing this challenge and its resources with existing school contacts.
Beyond promotion, organisations can provide invaluable real-world context by offering local support such as hosting a tour, delivering a guest talk or providing professional feedback on student concepts to help them understand the practicalities of the sector.
Key dates
The Global Burger Challenge 2027 launched on Monday 5 October 2026.
Schools will be invited to submit entries ahead of the judging stage, with shortlisted burgers recreated by a professional chef and winners recognised at the 2027 Royal Highland Show.
The closing date for entries is Friday 19th March 2027 at 5pm.
Resources and submission details
To support teachers, there is a suite of resources to help embed the challenge into food, health, science, business and wider skills-based learning.
This teacher’s pack includes the full design brief, learning resources and more details on how to enter.
The entry form can be downloaded here.
Entries should be sent to moira.stalker@fdfscotland.org.uk