Following eight semi finals around the UK, almost 50 finalists have been chosen to compete at three separate semi-finals for the chance to win an award.
They include staff from Gleneagles, Galvin at Windows, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Pennyhill Park and Spa.
Successful candidates will then go through to compete at the finals, with the kitchen and pastry round held at Thames Valley University on 6 April, and the service round held at Le Gavroche on 2 April and Gleneagles on 4 April.
Heston Blumenthal, in his capacity as honorary president of the AAE, will once more lead the panel of judges, which also include John Williams from The Ritz, Yolande Stanley MCA, Sergio Rebecchi from Chez Nico, Martyn Nail from Claridges and Adam Byatt from Trinity.
The winners will be presented with a chefs jacket or sommeliers apron, a magnum of G.H.Mumm Champagne, plus the highest scoring candidates will win prizes such as Savoy Educational Trust scholarships, Meyer cookware and Victorinox knives.
The semi-finalists in the 2011 Annual Awards of Excellence are:
Kitchen
Dimitair Angelkovski, Turnberry Resort
Alastair Clayton, Galvin at Windows
Tessa Clingham, Galvin at Windows
Romain Fouquet, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Anthony Hodge, Harvey Nichols
Joe Howley, Angelus Restaurant
Martyn Moody, Galvin La Chapelle
Ryan Murphy, Turnberry Resort
Jamie Randall, Galvin La Chapelle
Paul Reader, The Royal Household
Adam Reid, Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor
Ian Scaramuzza, Andrew Fairlie at The Gleneagles Hotel
Ewan Simpson, Claridge’s
Michael Tweedie, Lucknam Park Hotel
Pastry
Alexandra Liddle, The Ritz London
Diana Sedlakova, Renaissance London Chancery Court Hotel
Aminuddin Shaikh, Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa
Glen Sharman, Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa
Fanny Zanotti, The Capital Hotel
Mike Cope, The Gleneagles Hotel
Paul Dickinson, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Stefan Howells, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Luke Woodward, The Chester Grosvenor
Service
Mario Acquaviva, The Ritz London
Sefano Adduci, Quirinale Restaurant
Sophie Alaimo, The Westbury Hotel
Jami Armstrong, The Turnberry Hotel
Charles Beaini, The Hand & Flowers
Houssem Belabed, The Gleneagles Hotel
Owen Bissett, The Gleneagles Hotel
Tina Diefenbach, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Steven Felix, Le Gavroche
Sylvain Forbice, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Eleanor Hails, Ye Olde Bulls Head Hotel, Anglesey
Katie Lister, The Gleneagles Hotel
Johanna Marty, The Royal Automobile Club
James Marvin, Galvin at Windows
Romain Maunier, Galvin at Windows
Sylvain Morel, Claridge’s
Lucia Mottarella, Quirinale Restaurant
Rita Nagy, The Turnberry Hotel
Johanna Naumann, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
David Nicu-Catalin, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe
Wojciech Pastor, The Gleneagles Hotel
Caterina Petragallo, The Gleneagles Hotel
Joao Rocha, The Westbury Hotel
Carlota Santos, The Gleneagles Hotel
Louise Schmidt, The Gleneagles Hotel
Burak Sen, The Ritz London
Romaine Taverne, Galvin at Windows
Sam Ward, The Ritz London