Pravin Sharma, sous chef at London's Courthouse Hotel Kempinski, has won the Roux Scholarship at his first attempt. Sharma, whose early training was in his native India, was able to successfully reproduce an Escoffier recipe - coulibiac of salmon and sea bass - given to all six competitors just 30 minutes before the cook-off.
His mastery of seasoning particularly impressed the judging panel, led by Michel and Albert Roux. Sharma said: "I've never cooked Escoffier before and everything seemed Greek to me when I read the recipe, but I just concentrated and followed it through. I can't really believe I've won."
Look out for more on the Roux Scholarship in Caterer on 13 April.