Two chefs named joint winners of M and Bookatable's UK Young Chef of the Year competition
Chefs Perry Torrance, 20, and Jack Barwick, 23, have been named joint winners of online restaurant reservation site Bookatable's UK Young Chef of the Year 2017 competition.
Torrance (pictured right, with Barwick left) works at Smiths of Smithfield in London, while Barwick is a chef at Paradise Garage in London, sister restaurant to the Dairy.
The winners triumphed after 10 nights of finalist pop-up evenings at M Victoria St in London.
They will both enjoy the title M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year 2017.
To determine a winner, the 10 finalists were put through their paces by a judging panel made up of: Daniel Ayton (president of Disciples of Escoffier), Richard Bainbridge (chef), Sarah Durdin Robertson (Optomen TV), Steve Dineen (City AM), Tom Kemble (Bonhams), and M Restaurants executive chef, Michael Reid (pictured, centre).
The judges' scores made up 33% of the finalists' scores, with the remaining 67% coming from votes cast by paying diners each evening.
Both winning chefs scored 674 points out of a maximum 750 to tie the competition.
Reid said: "The competition was inspiring from start to finish! We have incredible talent in the UK's kitchens and with Bookatable and Pommery, we were able to offer a fantastic experience to both encourage and nurture young chefs. I can't wait for Perry and Jack to now rock it in the two-week take over!"
The winners will take over the M RAW 50-cover restaurant at M Victoria St for five nights each, cooking their own four-course menus. The menus are priced at £40 for four courses and a glass of Pommery Champagne.
Jack Barwick will cook from 22 August to 26 August 2017, and Perry Torrance from 29 August to 2 September 2017.
UK Young Chef of the Year Winner
1 Jack Barwick, the Dairy and Perry Torrance, Smiths of Smithfield
UK Chef of the Year Finalists
3 Kevin Hardy, Les 110 de Taillevent
4 Chris Davis, Compass Group
5 Kristian Ordona-Bates, Sofitel Heathrow
6 Taylor Batey, the Inn
7 Arran Seymour, Goose Fat & Wild Garlic
8 William Bowman-Smith, Woughton House
9 Guillaume Dunos, La Ferme
10 Valentin Perelle, Five Fields
UK Young Chef of the Year Awards 2017 finalists revealed >>
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