Following the northern and southern regional heats, a panel of chef judges chaired by Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce in London, and waiter judges chaired by Stephen Mannock from the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, whittled the 48 competitors down to 16.
The finalists all received a prize of a three-day trip to Champagne Laurent-Perrier and will now go to the national final, held at Westminster Kingsway College in London on 19 October.
Bob Walton MBE, chairman of the competition and president of the Restaurant Association, said that every year the standard of entries got higher and higher.
“We can be really proud of all these young people who show so much talent," said Walton. "They are the future of the industry.”
The winners of the regional chef heats were Tom Barnes of L’Enclume in Cartmel and Chris Johns from L’Autre Pied in London.
The waiter regional winners were Claudio Di Somma of The Ritz in London and Emilio Pietro Conti of Coworth Park, Ascot.
The full list of finalists of the Young Chef Young Waiter competition is as follows:
Young chefs:
Tom Barnes, L’Enclume, Cartmel
Chris Johns, L’Autre Pied, London
Jonathan Bone, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Steven Ellis, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Thomas Swanborough, Wiltons, London
Adam Handling, Fairmont St Andrews
Chris Kenny, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford
Ryan Murphy, Turnberry Hotel
Young waiters:
Claudio Di Somma, The Ritz, London
Emilio Pietro Conti, Coworth Park, Ascot
Paul Foxon, The Ritz, London
Burak Sen, The Ritz, London
Romain Taverne, Galvin at Windows, London
Sophie Henderson, Coworth Park, Ascot
Carine Jau, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxford
Tobias Klaas, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London