Thirty-two young chefs and 12 student chefs have been selected to compete in this year’s Gordon Ramsay Scholar and its sister competition, the Gordon Ramsay College Scholar.

Competitors for both events have been drawn from restaurants and colleges all over the UK and Ireland.

Among the hopefuls in the main competition are Graham Walker and his colleague Patrick Williams from the Isle of Wight’s George Hotel, and Ian Orr from Shanks restaurant in Bangor.

College aspirants are two students from Southampton City College - Sam Folan and Tyrone Hunt - and two from the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies - Ka Fu Choy and Paul Proffitt.

Nine chefs will progress to the grand final, which will be staged at the Restaurant Show in London on 19 September.

Semi-finalists:

• Scott Barnard, Flitwick Manor hotel, Bedfordshire
• Nicholas Ghinn, Ynyshir Hall, Mchynlleth
• Ben Griffiths, Patricks with Rooms, Swansea
• Neil Griffiths, Green Bough hotel, Chester
• Marc Hardiman, sous chef, Charlton House, Shepton Mallet
• Anna Haugh, Pied a Terre, London
• Will Holland, L’Ortolan restaurant, Shinfield, Berkshire
• Paul Insley, chef de partie, Charlton House, Shepton Mallet
• Alan Irwin, Chapter 1, Locksbottom, Kent
• Oskars Kalnins, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles
• Paul Kavanagh, the Montague Arms hotel, Hampshire
• Neil Mackenzie, Lindsay House hotel, London
• Craig McWilliam, Kirroughtree House hotel, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire
• Gillian Moss, Whites hotel, Bolton
• Andrew Munro, Old Course hotel and golf resort, St Andrew’s
• Ian Orr, Shanks restaurant, Bangor
• Jamie Raftery, Gidleigh Park, Devon
• John Robinson, the Punchbowl at Crosthwaite, Cumbria
• Ian Rudge, Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, Whiltshire
• Armand Sablon, Orrery restaurant, London
• Andrew Scott, Mallory Court hotel, Warwickshire
• Darren Smith, Warehouse Brasserie, Merseyside
• Peter Snelgar, Rampsbeck Country House hotel, Watermillock, Cumbria
• Donald Stewart, Cairn Lodge hotel, Auchterarder, Scotland
• Alex Thain, Etain, Glasgow
• Christopher Turnball, Roman Camp hotel, Callender
• Graham Walker, sous chef, the George hotel, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
• Jamie Walsh, Fisherman’s Lodge restaurant, Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Aled Williams, Plas Bodegroes restaurant, Gwynedd, North Wales
• Patrick Williams, chef de partie, the George hotel, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
• Andreas Wingent, Lucknam Park hotel, Chippenham, Wiltshire
• Craig Winstone, Courts hotel, St Peters Port, Guernsey
  

Buy this week's Caterer magazine for more industry news and analysis