RACA Annual Awards of Excellence 2015 winners named
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts has named the winners of its Annual Awards of Excellence (AAE) 2015.
The AAEs recognise and encourage the most talented and ambitious young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters. Since the awards began in 1983 more than 480 young professionals have received them.
Following the finals held at Le Gavroche, the Gleneagles hotel and University of West London, the Royal Academy has named the winners as:
Kitchen
- Stacey Harris, KPMG Restaurant Associates
- Dorian Janmaat, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Aaron Middleton, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Theodore Selby, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Michael Thompson, Fera at Claridge's
Pastry
- Jamie Butler, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Gabriella Cugno, William Curley
- Rebecca Gawn, Bachmann's Patisserie
- Roberto Guzzi, The Langham hotel
- Theresa Martinez, The Park Lane hotel
- Paul Maxwell, The Ritz London
- Elisha Shek, Yauatcha
- Stephen Smith, The Ritz London
Service
- Ferraro Ambrogio, The Ritz London
- Kevin Barbry, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Thomas Borghi, The Ritz London
- Jonathan Boyer, Luton Hoo
- Enzo Buonocore, The Ritz London
- Andrea Caputo, The Ritz London
- Claudiu Gheorghita, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Manolo Giannico, The Ritz London
- Emily Goossens, Northcote
- Peter Ioannou, Sea Containers at Mondrian London
- Lucy Jones, Chewton Glen hotel & spa
- Michelle Maida-Re, The Gleneagles hotel
- Stanislas Mascaro, The Waterside Inn
- Louis Muller, The Ritz London
- Gabriela Murea, Opus Restaurant
- Declan Nye, Cliveden House hotel
- Benjamin Sananes, Le Gavroche
- Jennifer Santner, Fenchurch Seafood Bar and Grill
- Christoph Schrottenbaum, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
- Klaus Schwebach, The Gleneagles hotel
- Ilias Skordilis, The Gleneagles hotel
- Jamie Tones, Café 21
- Lucy Yates, The Gleneagles hotel
To achieve the award candidates had to attain a score of over 70% in the tasks set by a panel of judges from the hospitality industry, chaired by John Williams MBE, executive chef, the Ritz London and chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA).
Kitchen finalists had five hours to produce a summer soup starter, using ingredients from a mystery box; turbot Normande; a whole duck dish from the entry task each candidate prepared; and their own modern interpretation of a raspberry millefeuille.
Pastry finalists had five-and-a-half hours to produce two bûches de noël; a sugar stand on which to display one bûche de noël; four portions of a fruit-based verrine; and 20 petits fours nougat de Montelimar.
Service finalists were required to decant and describe wines to the judging panel, as well as set up and serve a three-course meal with wines and liqueurs to a table of two guest judges.
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