Royal Academy of Culinary Arts reveals Annual Awards of Excellence 2013 winners
Following finals at Le Gavroche, Gleneagles, the University of West London and Westminster Kingsway College, the academy, which was granted permission to add the word 'Royal' to its title last month, awarded 33 individuals an award after they gained a score of 70 per cent or more in set tasks.
Participants in the academy's yearly Annual Awards of Excellence must be aged between 20 and 26 and work full time in the UK. Following a paper round semi-finalists are set a number of tasks in their relevant categories - kitchen, pastry and service - before being awarded their score.
This year's tasks included chefs producing a pasta and crayfish starter using ingredients from a mystery box; whole baked fish (Turbot) on the bone, accompanied by jersey royal potatoes and fresh asparagus; and an interpretation of a floating island dessert in four and a half hours while pastry chefs had five and a half hours to produce a decorated Sacher Torte, petits fours and a savoury quiche.
Service finalists were asked to decant and describe wines to the judging panel, which included The Ritz executive chef John Williams and set up and serve a three-course meal with wines and liqueurs for a table of two.
Winners, detailed below, will now be invited to an awards ceremony at the Royal Horseguards Hotel on Monday 15 July where they will be presented with their award. Candidates with the highest scored in each section will be announced at the ceremony and presented with a trophy and prizes, including a travel scholarship donated by the Savoy Educational Trust.
The Awards of Excellence are designed to inspire and encourage young people to achieve the highest possible standards in their chosen profession and offer them clear guidelines for success in their career.
The Awards of Excellence 2013 winners:
Kitchen:
- Matthew Ambrose, Claridge’s
- Josh Bingham, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
- Sven-Hanson Britt, The Ritz London
- Sophie Fenlon, Trinity Restaurant
- William Gordon, Odette’s Restaurant
- Andrew Newbon, Claridge’s
Pastry:
- Clare Fletcher, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
- Lucy Jones, The Ritz London
- Matthew Jones, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
- Shaun Mason, The Royal Household
- Brynley Phipps, William Curley
- Denver Schroffner, The Arts Club
- Nicole Waefler, William Curley
- Zhaokun Xu, The Savoy
Service:
- Alexander Austin, Lucknam Park Hotel
- Christoph Bodnar, Turnberry Resort
- Charles Carron Brown, The Ritz London
- Hugo Clavaud, Le Gavroche
- Rebecca Dibben, The Gleneagles Hotel
- Connor Donaldson, The Gleneagles Hotel
- Caitlin Flannighan, Turnberry Resort
- Alba Moure Torres, Turnberry Resort
- Matteo Paroni, Le Gavroche
- Sarah Plowman, Clock Tower at Rudding Park
- Stephanie Robertson, Roux at Parliament Square
- Ben Robinson, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
- Hugo Santos, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
- Kim Siekmann, The Gleneagles Hotel
- Sarah Stegfellner, Kitchen W8
- Manuel Tempesta, Le Gavroche
- Seana Tully, The Gleneagles Hotel
- Adam Willis, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
- Milda Zolubaite, Le Gavroche
