Young Chef Young Waiter regional finalists announced

The regional finalists for this year's Young Chef Young Waiter competition have been revealed.

The competition, organised by the Restaurant Association in partnership with the Savoy Educational Trust and American Express, rewards the best young chef and young waiter aged 25 and under.

Chair of the chef judges is Bruce Poole, chef-proprietor of the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce. Other judges include Michelin-starred chefs Angela Hartnett, chef-patron of Murano; Phil Howard, chef-patron of the Square; and Gary Jones, executive chef at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Stephen Mannock from the National Skills Academy of Hospitality will be the chair of the waiter judges, who will also include Simon King, front-of-house operations manager at the Fat Duck; Simon Girling, restaurant manager at the Ritz; and Jeremy Rata, managing director of Bovey Castle.

The regional finalists now go on to compete at one of four regional heats.

The chef heats will take place at Darlington College on 7 September and the University of West London on 14 September, while the waiter heats will take place at Rockliffe Hall, Darlington, on 8 September and Rashleighs, Maidenhead, on 19 September.

The regional winners will then go forward to compete in the final at London's Westminster Kingsway College on 19 October.

Now in its 27th year, Young Chef Young Waiter has introduced new awards to the competition this including best barista, best wine knowledge and best cheese knowledge for the waiters, and best original dish, best dessert and best kitchen craft for the chefs.

Young Chef regional finalists
Tom Barnes, L'Enclume, Cartmel
Charlotte Gillespie-Williams, Plough and Harrow Hotel, Birmingham
Christopher Hampton, Nutters Restaurant, Norden, Rochdale
Adam Handling, Fairmont St Andrews, Fife
Chris Kenny, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxford
Iain More, Swinton Park Hotel, Masham, Yorkshire
Ryan Murphy, Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Tom Parker, Northcote, Langho, Lancs
James Rehill, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles
Daniel Taylor, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxford
Andrew Whitelaw, Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Matthew Worswick, Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham
David Balastegui Gonazales, The Vineyard at Stockcross
Edward Bolan, Fox & Grapes, Wimbledon
Jonathan Bone, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Steven Ellis, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Lillie Farrow, BaxterStorey (Barclays Bank), London
Chris Johnston, L'Autre Pied, London
Issam Kouhkouh El Mzouri, Melia White House, London
Sathya Raj Ramalingam, London Hilton on Park Lane
Andrew Robertson, Gravetye Manor, Sussex
Charles Smith, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London
Thomas Swanborough, Wiltons, London
Michael Tweedie, Lucknam Park, Wiltshire

Young Waiter regional finalists
Jami Armstrong, Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Eleanor Bristow, Northcote, Langho, Lancs
Claudio Di Somma, The Ritz, London
Sophie Henderson, Coworth Park, Ascot
Zoe Holmes, The Nottingham Belfry
Alan Jackson, Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Carine Jau, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxford
Tobias Klaas, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London
Emanuele Mazzucchi, Coworth Park, Ascot
Pawel Skrzypinski, Loch Fyne
Adam Willis, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saison, Oxford
Tom Wyatt, Deseo, Gleneagles
Dean Bonwick, Waterside Inn, Bray
Emilio Pietre Conti, Coworth Park, Ascot
Romain Crozat, Galvin at Windows, London
Marion Dray, Coworth Park, Ascot
Paul Foxon, The Ritz, London
Emily Holworthy, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London
Eleftherios Kandylis, The Fat Duck, Bray
Liam Kelly, Hinds Head, Bray
Markus Klaas , Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London
Samantha Poynter, Dinner by Heston, Mandarin Hyde Park, London
Burak Sen, The Ritz, London
Romain Taverne, Galvin at Windows, London

Video: Young Chef Young Waiter winners announced >>

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National Chef of the Year semi-finalists announced >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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