Restaurant Associates reveals winners of annual skills competition

1st place: Angel Morales, HSBC
2nd place: James Cousins, Freshfields
3rd place: Bryony O'Neill, KPMG

22 September 2016 by Katey Pigden

Angel Morales and Ronny Wilbald have been named the winners of Restaurant Associates' 14th annual Hospitality & Culinary Skills Competition.

Morales, who works at HSBC, won the chef competition while Wilbald of Citi received the front-of-house award.

Hospitality professionals including Silvano Giraldin, Restaurant Associates' executive chef Jeremy Ford, Michael West, Miles Macinnes, Paul Hood, Adam Byatt and Anthony Demetre judged the final.

Each chef was paired up with a front-of-house competitor to work as a team to cook and serve a three-course meal for 32 guests made up of Restaurant Associates' clients from companies across the city.

The final began with a Champagne pouring challenge, which saw the finalists having to pour one bottle into eight glasses with equal measure.

They then served the Champagne with canapés prepared by the chef finalists. The set menu featured British ingredients including mackerel and heritage beetroot for the starter, beef for the main course and pears for dessert.

James Boyle, managing director of Restaurant Associates, said: "The Hospitality & Culinary Skills Competition is such a great evening as it gives our chefs and front-of-house colleagues the opportunity to showcase the talent we have within our hospitality teams.

"Restaurant Associates is all about strong growth in food, service and people and this competition represents the passion our people have for the values of the business. It was a great evening and congratulations to all of our finalists and winners."

The competition was set up in memory of Roger Naylor, former executive chef for Restaurant Associates.

RA is the executive dining division of Compass Group UK & Ireland.