Quattromini, 25, beat seven other finalists to be crowned winner at the awards ceremony at Claridge's in London last night (9 February) and the chance to win a year of mentoring from front-of-house gurus such as former Le Gavroche general manager Silvano Giraldin and Diego Masciaga of The Waterside Inn.
Winning also entitles him to work experience at the Royal Household and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and a visit to the vineyards of Champagne and Bordeaux.
He said: "It’s an honour to be selected as the Scholar for 2015 and to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner James Fleming. The next year will be an incredible experience and I feel so fortunate and privileged to know that I will be working alongside industry greats in so many revered venues and establishments.
"I hope over the next year my own work and experiences will inspire other young people to pursue a career in this dynamic and rewarding industry and better understand the huge breadth of opportunities available to them within it.”
Competition
For the competition's final, now in its third year, Quattromini and seven other finalists were required to demonstrate skills in mise en place, decanting, greeting guests, meal service and customer engagement at The Connaught in Mayfair.
Alastair Storey, chairman of BaxterStorey, and chairman of The Gold Service Scholarship Trustees, said it was important to encourage young talent to joint and 'enrich' the industry as well as helping them 'strive for excellence'.
“Hospitality and tourism is vital to a healthy UK economy – it accounts for almost one in 10 jobs and 8 per cent of GDP. To remain globally competitive and attract overseas visitors and revenue we need to continuously strive for excellence.
“Great Britain has an outstanding international reputation and is a popular and historically rich destination. However we must constantly innovate to stay at the forefront of our industry globally."
The eight finalists were:
- Daniele Quattromini - Club Lounge 39, Canary Wharf, London
- James O’Keeffe - Lainston House Hotel, Winchester
- Lukáš Andr - The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
- Karen Weisheit - Cliveden House Hotel, Taplow
- Matthew Balman - Buckingham Palace, London
- Ronald Rosario - The Capital Hotel, London
- Nicholas Winfield - Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, Oxford
- George Oates - Buckingham Palace, London