Simone Sylvestre, catering manager with Compass Group’s fine dining division Restaurant Associates, has been named as the Acorn Scholar 2009.

Sylvestre, who becomes the seventh scholar, impressed a judging panel including Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Michael Caines with her “perseverance, tenacity and commitment to personal development”. 

The catering manager receives a £2,000 bursary to help towards her career goal of becoming a Master of Wine; £1,500 worth of Learnpurple training; a trip to Villeroy and Boch in Luxembourg and free Springboard UK Ambassador training as well as mentoring. 

Cecilia Quino from the Westbury Mayfair hotel was named as runner-up. 

You can read about Rob Hartwell the 2008 Acorn Scholar and his experiences on a four-month cooks tour while on sabbatical from his sous chef role with Peach Pub Company below: 
 

Rob Hartwell journey from Frog Porridge Café to Raffles Singapore >>
Rob Hartwell on life in Sydney >>
Rob Hartwell goes down under >>
Acorn scholar goes native in Fuji >>


Acorn Scholarship 2009 >>

Acorn Scholarship website >>

2007 Acorn Scholarship winner joins ISS Mediclean >>

Meet the former winners of the Acorn Scholarship >>

 By Chris Druce

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