Final line-up for Young National Chef of the Year 2013 revealed
The final line-up will include a number of pub and restaurant chefs including Rory Welch from the Broad Chard Pub in Newcastle, Danny Hoang from Viajante and Ruth Hansom who currently works at the Boundary Restaurant for Freddy Forster, winner of the National Chef of the Year competition in 2011.
In a first for the contest, which is held in partnership with Knorr, 12 young chefs competed in two semi-finals this year in order to fill four of the places available in the live final.
The remaining four finalists were chosen by the Craft Guild of Chefs based on the winners of other industry-wide competitions held by the British Culinary Federation, Essential Cuisine, WorldSkills UK and the Academy of Culinary Arts, which will be announcing the holder of the eighth place at a dinner later this month.
The first semi-final was held last month in Sheffield where Welch made it through to the final. The second semi-final took place last week at the University of West London in Ealing - Hansom, Hoang and David Alexander Squire from the Danesfield House hotel in Marlow were triumphant.
All the semi-finalists were tasked with creating a two-course meal in just two hours featuring a main course of their choice and a chocolate fondant.
Inspire
Mark Sargeant, himself a former winner of the National Chef of the Year prize, is the ambassador and chair of the judges for this year's Young National Chef of the Year contest. Before announcing the winners of the second semi-final last week, he told the competitors they should be proud of what they had achieved.
"I haven't worked as hard as I have worked just for myself and to see an industry which I am really passionate about just disappear - it is down to us to become mentors and inspire you.
"The standard of the dishes this morning was exceptional and just to get this stage is a very difficult process," he added.
Now in its fourth year, the Young National Chef of the Year is open to chefs aged 18-23.
The prize was won last year by Ben Murphy, chef de partie at Koffmann's in London. Murphy told BigHospitality he would love to use success in the contest as a springboard to further success such as competing in National Chef of the Year.
The 2013 live final will be held at The Restaurant Show in October.
The Young National Chef of the Year 2013 finalists:
- Rory Welch, Broad Chard Pub, Newcastle.
- Danny Hoang, Viajante, London.
- David Alexander Squire, Danesfield House, Marlow.
- Ruth Hansom, Boundary Restaurant, London.
- Ben Champkin, The Elephant Restaurant, Torquay.
- Louisa May Matthews, Eton College, Sodexo.
- Daniel Akrigg, Rogan & Company.
- To be confirmed by the Academy of Culinary Arts later this month.
