The finalists for the relaunched Young Chef Young Waiter competition have been announced ahead of the live final in London on 28 and 29 October 2019.
The 32 finalists are comprised of 16 young chefs and 16 young waiters who were chosen by a stellar judging panel. The Young Chef Young Waiter competition is celebrating 40 years in the UK this year and judging panel includes Theo Randall, Jason Atherton, Tom Kerridge, Emily Roux, Claude Bosi, Ruth Hansom, Brian Turner and Tom Aikens.
Applicants from Hide, The Fat Duck and The Hand and Flowers lead the way with three finalists from each restaurants making the shortlist. The finalists all submitted a video entry and questionnaire which was assessed anonymously by our panel of judges (any judges connected to an entrant, did not judge that specific entry).
Finalists for Best Young Waiter of the Year are:
- Alessandro Calzavacca from Jean-Georges at the Connaught
- Alessia Rivano from Angle
- Andrea La Cognata from the Fat Duck
- Antoine Paon from Hide Ground Floor 85 Piccadilly Circus
- Asia Raele from HIDE Above London
- Cristina Sabater-Hayes from the Hand and Flowers Marlow
- Davide Santeramo from the Stafford London
- Declan Wilkins from The Hand and Flowers Marlow
- Hannah Sloan from Rockliffe Hall Golf & Spa Hotel
- Georgia Wheatley from The Ivy Temple Row
- Joanna Gaslowska from Orrery
- Joseph Barker from the Rothay Manor Hotel
- Katie Lyons from the Crafthouse
- Salvatore Delle Donne from the Fat Duck
- Mattia Leonardi from The Ritz London
- Mattia Launech from the Stafford London
“I’m so pleased to be involved in this year’s Young Chef Young Waiter and to help promote the hospitality industry to young people. It’s fast-paced and hectic but a rewarding exciting industry to be a part of and this competition is a great way for young people to start out.” , The Social Company.
Finalists for Best Young Chef of the Year are:
- Alexandra Henderson from The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair, London
- Alexander Parker from The Hand and Flowers
- Ben Wright from Rudding Park Hotel, Clocktower Restaurant
- Connor Twomey from Julie’s Restaurant
- Jordan Radford from Hogan Lovells – Bartlett Mitchell
- Lewis Glaister from Bluebird Restaurant, Chelsea
- Luke Simmons from Hide Above
- Marco Loriggiola from Cantina del Ponte
- Natasha Ohene-Nyako from 100 Wardour Street
- Nathaniel Mortley from Freshfields – Bartlett and Mitchell
- Nicholas Reina from The Fat Duck
- Richard Henderson from Restaurant Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park
- Richard Horsford from the Avenue Cookery School
- Ryan Baker from Northall Restaurant, Corinthia Hotel
- Tony Leung from Biltmore Mayfair
- Vittorio Pali from SohoHouse UK
“Without the passion and determination of young chefs and young waiters there would be no future for our industry. There’s nothing quite like working in hospitality and to succeed you have to have a certain level of grit and ambition. This competition gives young talent the opportunity to stand out amongst the others and prove what an exciting and special industry ours is to work in.” Emily Roux.
“The Young Chef Young Waiter is one of the most respected competitions in the country and one that helps to highlight the very best of homegrown talent we have in this industry. It brings together the very best that we have working across the whole of the UK in our restaurants and hotels, its the best way to showcase the future shining stars that can in turn help to attract the next generation of chefs and waiters into this amazing industry of ours. This is a competition that nurtures educates and guides them onto their own career paths and most importantly standing proudly on their own two feet.” Tom Aikens.
“It is important that the next generation see cooking and working in front of house as a career, as it is on the continent, rather than as something more transient. It is a demanding career but also a very rewarding one. These competitions are a great way for enthusiastic staff to challenge themselves, improve their skills and raise their profile”. Ollie Dabbous.
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