Le Manoir's Henry Wadsworth wins AAE Young Chef of the Year

Henry Wadsworth from Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has been named Young Chef of the Year by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence (AAE) 2017.

It is the third year in a row that Le Manoir has won the title, which is given to the chef who scores the highest in a series of practical tasks set by judges including Jason Atherton (The Social Company), Adam Byatt (Trinity), and John Williams (The Ritz).

Elena Bockshecker from Harrods was named 2017 Young Pastry Chef of the Year, while Gleneagles’ Lewis Hunter took the title of best Young Waiter.

The trio's awards, which include work experience at Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant, were presented at a ceremony at Rosewood London on 14 July.

The AAE, which was launched in 1983, takes the form of an exam rather than a competition and is designed to recognise the skills of young hospitality talent.

A further 20 candidates from the kitchen, pastry and service sections also received the AAE after scoring over 70% in their exams.

“I hope that through the AAE we can motivate and inspire the industry’s young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters to undertake a career of training first themselves, and then others; and to look outside the workplace to wider industry and opportunities,” says Williams.

This year’s AAE winners in full:

KITCHEN:

Olivia Catherine Burt, Fera at Claridge's

Samuel King, The Ritz London

Tom Waters, Bonhams Restaurant

Fergus Wilford, Andre Garrett at Cliveden

Young Chef of the Year: Henry Wadsworth, Le Manor aux Quat’Saisons

 

PASTRY:

Harry Barber, Hakkasan

Alan Holloway, Claridge's

Mathilde Pilaete, Alfred Dunhill

Young Pastry Chef of the Year: Elena Bockshecker, Harrods

 

SERVICE:

Lauren Chappell, Cromlix Hotel

James Dainton, André Garrett at Cliveden

Piers Gibson-Birch, Luton Hoo Hotel

Karen Gruet, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Ross Hunter, The Gleneagles Hotel

Stefanie Obermayer, The Gleneagles Hotel

Remi Orero, The Greenhouse

Charlotte Poynton, The Three Chimneys

Giuseppe Scudiero, The Ritz London

Antonella Sinisgallo, Roux at the Landau

Alexander Sumerauer, The Ritz London

Gabriele Tarantola, The Ritz London

Thomas Wickens, The Berkeley Hotel

Young Waiter of the Year: Lewis Hunter, The Gleneagles Hotel