Chef Stagiaire Awards announce their final two

The Chef Stagiaire Awards have announced the competition's two finalists ahead of the last stage at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, on 16 June.

Craig Johnston, 18, from Maidenhead and Emily Greenough, 22, from London, both made it through to the final round, after being tested on technical ability, attitude and cooking techniques.

The new competition tested 20 chefs who were aged 24 and under on 1 January 2014, and has given them the chance to stage at some of the UK's most acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants. To enter, they had to submit a two-cover menu including a written recipe for an amuse-bouche and a British lamb-based main course.

Johnston completed a stage at Alan Murchison's L'Ortolan in Berkshire, while Greenough spent time with Tom Duffil at Arbutus in London. Both received high praise, and have both been offered jobs at their respective restaurants.

The final is set to take place on Monday 16 June, judged by executive chef of the Fat Duck Group, Ashley Palmer-Watts. The winner will have the chance to take part in international stages, including the two-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn kitchen in San Francisco, and the Six Senses resort in Oman.

Greenough said Blumenthal is "one of [her] idols" and that getting through to the final had been "a dream come true", while Johnston said: "I still can't actually believe I'm in the final two, but I know as soon as I get to Dinner it will hit me."

Time running out for young chefs to enter Chef Stagiaire Award >>