The Restaurant Association (RA) has named the 48 regional finalists in this year’s annual Young Chef Young Waiter (YCYW) competition 2010.
Part of the British Hospitality Association, the RA has chosen young chefs and waiters from across the UK to take part in one of four regional finals.
The waiter heats will take place at von Essen’s Hotel Verta on 16 September, Seaham Hall in County Durham on 9 September, with the chef heats commencing at Darlington College on 8 September and Thames Valley University on 15 September.
The four most successful candidates from each heat will go through to a national final, to be held at Westminster Kingsway College on 20 October.
Raising standards
Bob Walton, chairman of the competition and president of the RA, said: “Every year, the standard of entries gets higher and higher. We can be really proud of all these young people who show so much talent. They are the future of the industry.”
A panel of judges, led by Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce in London, will feature the likes of Angela Hartnett, Phil Howard, Brett Graham and Simon King, front of house operations manager for The Fat Duck.
Last year’s winners Rose Greene from Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham and Sarah Cooper from The Ledbury in London, won £2k each plus an extra £1k donated by restaurant columnist Michael Winner.
This year’s regional finalists for the YCYW 2010 competition are:
Chef finalists
Greg Anderson - Norton House Hotel, Edinburgh
James Campbell - Cardrona Hotel, Peebles
Adam Dransfield - Nutters Restaurant, Norden, Rochdale
Santhoshraja Durairaj - The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Robert Herron - Kilworth House Hotel, Leics
Amy Heward - Winteringham Fields, North Lincs
Lahiru Jayasekara - Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxon
Christopher Kenny - Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxon
Ryan Murphy - Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Karl O’Dell - Colette’s, Chandlers Cross, Hants
Tom Parker - Northcote, Langho
Martyn To - The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Tony Bee - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Sean Beckerleg - Saunton Sands Hotel, Devon
Daniel Birn - Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Micheal Dipple - Cannizaro House, London
Tommy Fairhall - Galvin at Windows, London
Luke Fouracre - House of Commons
Niall Keating - Bath Priory
Stefan Pini - Hurlingham Club, London
Mark Stinchcombe - Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Robert Stacey - Galvin at Windows, London
Michael Tweedie - Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Matthew Worswick - Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead
Waiter finalists
Eleanor Bristow - Northcote, Langho
Ben Dantzic - Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneages
Eleanor Hails - Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris
Matthew Kinnes - Moor Hall Hotel, Sutton Coldfield
Jenny Mackiewicz - Balmoral Bar, Edinburgh
Christie McVeigh - Beales Hotel, Hatfield
Chloe Murray - The Samling, Windermere
Roy Ng - Café 21, Newcastle–upon- Tyne
Max Smith - Northcote, Langho
Bronagh Smith - Deanes Restaurant, Belfast
Jessica Warden - The General Tarleton, Ferrensby, Yorks
Adam Willis - Box Tree, Ilkley
Thomas Aragones - The Fat Duck, Bray
Willi Bethmann - The Ritz, London
Andrew Cleary - The Ritz, London
Emma Colwill - The Hinds Head, Bray
Julien Gardin - The Fat Duck, Bray
Jennifer Georgeson - The Grill at The Dorchester, London
Antoine Georget - Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxon