National Chef of the Year 2017: 10 finalists revealed
The finalists, selected at cook-off heats in London yesterday (22 June) and in Sheffield on 14 June, will now prepare for the live final at The Restaurant Show on 4 October.
They are:
- Danny Parker, head chef House of Tides
- Martin Carabott, senior sous chef, The Royal Automobile Club
- Adam Thomason, head chef, Restaurant Associates
- Charles Smith, head chef, Alyn Williams at The Westbury
- Liam McKenna, head chef Trump International
- James Devine, sous chef, EIPIC
- Paul Foster, chef-patron, Salt
- Stephanie Coupland, chef-de-partie Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
- Luciano Lucioli, head chef, Lusso - CH&Co
- Kamil Wierzbowski, sous chef, Petrus Restaurant, Gordon Ramsay.
As well as competing in the NCOTY final, the chefs will also attend a mentor day at The Grove, Hertfordshire on 5 September where they will be presented with a mystery basket of ingredients to be used in the final take part in a masterclass with former NCOTY winner, Russell Bateman.
David Mulcahy, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs and organiser of the competition said: “This has probably been our most hotly-contested semi-finals to date, starting with an amazing Sheffield heat last week and some closely fought London heats. It was an interesting brief this year which focused on core culinary skills and these 10 chefs have demonstrated a high level of skill whilst adapting the brief to their own cooking style.”
The semi-finals were judged by a panel of over 40 judges chaired by Clare Smyth. She said: "I believe we have found 10 incredibly talented chefs who now have to raise their game even further to be in with a chance of taking the UK’s most sought-after title.”
