Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence semi-finalists revealed
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts has announced the names of the Annual Awards of Excellence 2017 semi-finalists.
The award aims to inspire and encourage young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters to achieve the highest standards in their profession.
However, it does not award first, second and third places but rewards and recognises a number of professionals depending on their ability to attain the standard set by the judges. Any number can walk away with an Award of Excellence.
The judges include: honorary president Jason Atherton, chef patron of the Social Company; chairman John Williams, executive chef, the Ritz London; joint chairmen of Kitchen: Martyn Nail, executive chef, Claridge's and Adam Byatt, chef patron, Trinity; joint chairmen of pastry: Yolande Stanley, trainer, the Pastry Training Company and Sarah Hartnett, pastry consultant; joint chairmen of service: Sergio Rebecchi, director Serenata Hospitality and John Cousins, director the Food and Beverage Training Company.
Chefs are judged on a range of preparation and cookery tasks and must demonstrate that they can prepare a variety of dishes including soups and dessert and a piece of their own free interpretation.
Pastry chefs will demonstrate the ability to work materials including chocolate and sugar and a creative presentation piece, whilst showing skills in baking and plated desserts.
Waiters are tested on their knowledge and skills including product knowledge, technical service skills, interpersonal skills and teamwork.
The candidate who scores the most marks in their section will be named the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef, Young Pastry Chef or Young Waiter 2017.
The Awards of Excellence launched in 1983, and since then over 550 young professionals have achieved the accolade.
See the full list of semi-finalists below:
Kitchen Semi Finalists
- Nathan Booth; the Art School Restaurant
- Jharvari Brade; Fenchurch Restaurant, Sky Garden
- Sam Brennan; the Woodspeen Restaurant
- Olivia Catherine Burt; Fera at Claridge's
- Charles Coulombeau; Gravetye Manor
- Charlie Crote; the Ritz London
- Mitchell Davidson; Trump Turnberry Resort
- Jonathan Ferguson; Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles
- Samuel King; the Ritz London
- Juraj Kopcik; the Five Fields
- Krystof Kratochvil; Galvin at Windows
- Shannon Loughlin; Google 6PS, Restaurant Associates
- Samuel Nash; L'Enclume
- Valentin Perelle ; the Five Fields
- Alex Proudman; Bistro Union
- Sean Sanders; Fera at Claridge's
- Sean Singco; the Latymer
- Jade Stephens; Lucknam Park Hotel
- Andrew Tabberner; the Bull Beaumaris
- Jake Taylor-Farnworth; Claridge's
- Hugo Vernochet; Alfred Dunhill
- Giacomo Vieru; White's Club
- Henry Wadsworth; Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Tom Waters; Perilla
- Fergus Wilford; André Garrett at Cliveden
Pastry semi-finalists
- Derya Adem; the Ritz London
- Christoforos Athanasopoylos; ME London Hotel
- Harry Barber; Hakkasan
- Nicholas Bentley; Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Kacey Bignell; Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard
- Elena Bockshecker; Harrods
- Olivia BÁ¶sch; Mosimann's
- Harry Broomfield; Royal Automobile Club
- Leanne De'Ath; Hotel Café Royal
- Zandra Jhin Garcia; Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard
- Marceau Gouret; Roux at the Landau, the Langham
- Alan Holloway; Claridge's
- Franck-Olivier Kamgdom; Yauatcha
- Charles Liets; Harrods
- Victoria Peters; Bachmanns Patisserie
- Mathilde Pilaete; Alfred Dunhill
- Madeline Thell; Harrods
- Elodie Tomaselli; Pennyhill Park Hotel
- Maria Chiara Vitale; Colbert
Service semi-finalists
- Stefano Barbarino; Galvin at Windows
- Nicolas Alan Bosley; the Greenhouse
- Emma Burgess; Cromlix Hotel
- Enrico Calderaro; the Ritz London
- Lauren Chappell; Cromlix Hotel
- Graeme Cumine; L'Enclume
- James Dainton; André Garrett at Cliveden
- Lea Deliere; the French Table
- Federico Dell'isola; the Lanesborough
- Andrea Diolaiuti; the Ritz London
- Lorelei Fruhauf; Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
- Amrit Gharu; Chewton Glen
- Piers Gibson-Birch; Luton Hoo Hotel
- Belinda Goueia; Little Ship Club
- Karen Gruet; Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Federica Gullotta; Galvin at Windows
- Ellen Herslow; the Westbury Hotel
- Lewis Hunter; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Ross Hunter; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Albert Marius Irimescu; Hotel Tresanton
- Katherine King; Gidleigh Park Hotel
- Oliver Lavelle; Le Gavroche
- Rosanna Law; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Gary Lee; the Ritz London
- Georgina Limond; Trump Turnberry Resort
- Joao Luiz Gomes; André Garrett at Cliveden
- Alessandro Marra; Alyn Williams at the Westbury
- Robyn McAree; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Alistair McColm; Trump Turnberry Resort
- Bronwyn McLean; Darwin Brasserie, Sky Garden
- Samuel Melotti; the Greenhouse
- Charles-Henri Moec; the Connaught Hotel
- Kaylie Mostal; Darwin Brasserie, Sky Garden
- Anais Niang; Little Ship Club
- Jay Noort; the Berkeley Hotel
- Stefanie Obermayer; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Remi Orero; the Greenhouse
- Filippo Piai; the Ritz London
- Natalie Pope; Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Charlotte Poynton; the Three Chimneys
- Saskia Reicheld; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Simone Rizzo; the Ritz London
- Mariano Gabriele Ruiu; L'Enclume
- Alba Serrano; the Bath Priory Hotel
- Giuseppe Seudiero; the Ritz London
- Elena Silveri; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Manvir Singh; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Antonella Sinisgallo; Roux at the Landau, The Langham
- Emma Smith; Trump Turnberry Resort
- Scott Smith; yhe Gleneagles Hotel
- Sarah Sorensen; the Gleneagles Hotel
- Julie Staelen; Gravetye Manor
- Christopher Strachan; Driftwood Hotel
- Alexander Sumerauer; the Ritz London
- Gabriele Tarantola; the Ritz London
- Christina Tsang; the Gleneagles Hotel
- David Tuneke; the Ritz London
- Larissa Varini; the Bath Priory Hotel
- Valerio Vita; Galvin at Windows
- Thomas Wickens; the Berkeley Hotel
- Ellen Woodcock ; Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms
RACA's Annual Awards of Excellence open for entries >>
ACA Annual Awards of Excellence finalists named >>
Annual Awards of Excellence 2016 open for entries >>
Videos from The Caterer archives
