Young Chef Young Waiter shortlist announced

The Restaurant Association has announced the shortlist of competitors for the regional heats of its annual competition

The Restaurant Association has announced its shortlist for the regional finals of this year’s Young Chef Young Waiter competition, ahead of next month’s regional qualifiers.

Now in its 24th year, the competition recognises the very best of young British talent in restaurants and kitchens nationwide. The shortlisted competitors, all of whom are under the age of 25, will have to battle it out in three live regional cook-offs in the North, Midlands and London areas next month.

Three members of staff from the Ritz hotel’s kitchen and front of house make appearances in the line up, while Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Gordon Ramsay at Claridges have two representatives each.

The three regional finals will take place next month at Darlington College, University College Birmingham and Thames Valley University, with just sixteen finalists in total being chosen to compete at the final at Westminster Kingsway College on September 30.

All national finalists will win a study trip to Champagne Besserat de Bellafon in Epernay.

Chef Competitors:

North

Stephanie Robinson - Winteringham Fields

Dougie McMaster - Winteringham Fields

Steven Evans - Northcote Group, The Three Fishes

Michael Eminson - Northcote Manor

Stephen Smith - The Star Inn

Sergio Boyle - The Star Inn

Martin Malinowski-Evans - Caf? 21

Rose Greene - Balmoral Hotel

Midlands

Alejandro Jose Cancino - Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons

Gareth Zachary - Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons

Tom Barnes - The Vineyard at Stockcross

Chris Lovell - The Elephant

James Dobson - Royal Duchy Hotel

Ben Mullins - Lucknam Park Hotel

Ryan Simpson - The Goose Britwell Salome

Julia Hetherton - Lavender House

London

Tristin Farmer - Gordon Ramsay at Claridges

Andrew Ward - The Glasshouse

Rhys Richardson - Baxter Storey, Barclays Canary Wharf

Matt Abe - Gordon Ramsay at Claridges

Oliver Marlow - The Glasshouse

Sean Enslin - Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Joshua Pelham - The Square

Adam Smith - The Ritz

Waiter Competitor

North

Al Crookall - Lancaster House Hotel

Roy Wing Nam Ng - Jesmond Dene

William Bonfield - Boxtree Restaurant

Eleanor Bristow - Northcote Manor

Matthew Randall - Harvey Nichols Manchester

Stefanie Woehlert - Macdonald Houston House

Chris Dobson - The Torridon Hotel

Katie Watson - Gleneagles Hotel

Midlands

Mayta Meza - Opus Restaurant

Thomas Mercier - The Vineyard at Stockcross

Matthew Balman - Gidleigh Park

Mathilde Krug Von Nidda - Whatley Manor

Sam Matthews - Lavender House

Alessandra Bortoli - Skylon

Karim Le Cloarec - Searcy @ 30 St Mary Axe

Rosario Cappiello - The Ritz

London

Sam Calderbank - Maze

Federico Zannolfi - The Lanesborough

Falko Molitor - Aspleys at The Lanesborough

Jeremy Verna - The Greenhouse

Barbara Riotti - The Goring

Ashraf Saleh - Galvins at Windows

Christophe Cormier - The Ritz

Marco Fusato - The Ritz