Stars of tomorrow
A Close finish in both sections of the 1995 Young Chef and Young Waiter of the Year competition made this year's award one of the most exciting of its 11-year history.
The suspense continued right to the end of the award ceremony dinner. The winners of the industry's most prestigious titles for chefs and waiters under the age of 25 were unknown until the last coffee and dessert wines had been served.
The calibre of all 16 participants competing in the finals at Westminster College this year was deemed to be exceptionally high. The competitors had already won their way through one of three regional finals, held during February and March.
Each of the eight chef finalists was drawn to work with one of the waiter finalists. The task of each waiter was to serve a four-course lunch, cooked by their chef partner, to a table of four invited guests (journalists, sponsors and leading industry figures). Chefs and waiters were to be judged separately by two distinct panels of judges.
The chefs, each assigned a commis from Westminster College, had to cook their four-course meal for a total of six covers - two for the judges and four for the guests - in four hours.
As well as keeping within a budget of £30, the main course had to include turbot and the overall meal had to have a bias towards lighter, healthier eating. All puddings served had to be hot.
Judging got under way in the kitchen at 9am with Kevin Kennedy, formerly of Bistrot Bistro, London, keeping an eye on hygiene practices and general kitchen performance, and chairman of the chefs' judging panel Antony Worrall Thompson of Simpsons of Cornhill, in attendance. They were joined later in the morning by the tasting judges - Rose Gray of the River Cafe, London, and AA Gill, restaurant critic of the Sunday Times (amuse bouches and desserts); Jean-Christophe Novelli of the Four Seasons Hotel, London, and Richard Corrigan of Fulham Road restaurant, London (starters); and Patrick McDonald of the Epicurean, Cheltenham, and Bruno Loubet of Bistrot Bruno, London (main courses).
Chairman of the waiters' panel John Cousins, head of Hospitality Studies, Thames Valley University, and Somerset Moore of the Painswick Hotel, Painswick, Gloucestershire, who has been a judge of the competition since its inception, were joined by Brian Clivaz of Simpson's-in-the-Strand, London, Nick Tarayan of Leith's restaurant, London, Kate Smith of the Beetle & Wedge Hotel, Moulsford-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, Neville Abraham of Groupe Chez Gérard, and Elena Salvoni of Elena's Etoile, London.
Their task was to assess the waiters on their technical skills, product knowledge, teamwork and social skills.
As well as observing the competitors through the service of the lunch, which was to include three plated dishes and the silver service of the main course, the judges were also to interview the host guests of each table as well as the competitors themselves.
The lunch guests started to arrive for cocktails soon after midday and within an hour the first dishes were being served. A general criticism of the amuse bouches was that the portions were too large - some would have been acceptable as starters on their own. Top marks for this course, though, went to Angela Tannahill's loaf of smoked bacon and black olives served with creamed woodland mushrooms.
The starters were based on meat, except for Frederick Forster's millefeuille of rouget and langoustine with fried vegetables, and a particularly good baked goat's cheese crusted in herb breadcrumbs on a salad of artichokes from Lawrence Dodds. Also catching the judges eyes was Marcus Wareing's excellently presented ravioli of confit rabbit leg jus soya.
It was at the main course stage that potential winners began to emerge. Wareing's civet of turbot with pomme mousseline was clearly the best dish of the day. "The fish is beautifully cooked and perfectly complemented by the rich sauce of red wine and shallots," said Loubet
Top puddings included Tannahill's pear clafoutis with butterscotch ice-cream and Wareing's tarte tatin of pears with a millefeuille of ginger ice-cream.
After nearly two hours of tasting, Wareing was declared the winner. "As well as producing some very good individual dishes, the balance of his meal overall was the best," said Worrall Thompson.
Meanwhile, the judging of the waiters was also drawing to a close. Two candidates - Scott Craddock and Rachel New - had been exemplary in their work, attitude, and demeanour throughout the final. Craddock, though, was eventually declared the overall winner. "Craddock was constantly looking around the room to see what everyone else was doing, as well as always being aware of his guests' needs," said Cousins. "He had that star quality we were looking for."
Nearly seven hours later, the long waiting was over and Marcus Wareing and Scott Craddock received the applause of more than 300 guests at London's Grosvenor House Hotel as the 1995 Young Chef and Young Waiter of the Year.
