Semi-finalists announced for Young National Chef of the Year
The semi-finalists and finalists of the Young National Chef of the Year Competition have been announced by the Craft Guild of Chefs.
The 15 semi-finalists were seeded from the winners of 12 other competitions, and include chefs from establishments such as the Ritz, Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, Viajante, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Club at the Ivy.
The seeding competitions were: the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chef, Young Welsh Chef of the Year, Young Scottish Chef of the Year, Young Game Chef of the Year, Young Grampian Chef of the Year, Young North East Chef of the Year, South West Young Chef of the Year, the Master Chefs of Great Britain Young Chef of the Year, North West Chef of the Year, Guernsey Young Chef of the Year and UK Skills.
These semi-finalists will now compete in one of two heats in June, either at Sheffield City College on 10 June, or Le Cordon Bleu London on 25 June. The top five highest scorers will then go on to compete against the existing finalists, at the Restaurant Show on 7 October.
Winners and runners-up will then be announced, along with the National Chef of the Year 2014, at an awards ceremony after the event.
Vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs and chairman of judges Steve Munkley congratulated the chefs on the high standards of their cooking.
"It's a privilege to be involved in a competition that attracts this calibre of chef," he said. "Every one of them has already demonstrated outstanding talent and skills and I look forward to seeing what they produce in the heats and final."
Young National Chef of the Year ambassador Mark Sargeant, who won the National Chef of the Year competition in 2006, said: "I can foresee [the Young Chef competition] becoming an important and highly regarded stepping stone in the industry. There are so many fantastic young chefs coming through right now and I'm very excited about mentoring some of these as part of my role."
Last year's winner of National Young Chef of the Year, which is open to chefs aged 18 to 23, was Ben Champkin, of the Elephant in Torquay, with his menu of fallow deer, rack of turbot and cherry bakewell dessert.
FULL LIST OF SEMI-FINALISTS AND HEAT DATES
SHEFFIELD - HEAT ONE - 10 June, Sheffield City College, Sheffield
Rory Welch, The Bridge Tavern, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Luke Selby, Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, Oxfordshire
Thomas Lawson, Rafters Restaurant, Sheffield
Craig Bateman, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Compass Group
Ruth Hansom, The Ritz, London
James Goodyear, Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, Oxfordshire
LONDON - HEAT TWO - 25 June - Le Cordon Bleu, London
Nathan Cornwell, Lucknam Park, Bath
Connor Godfrey, The Ritz, London
Ricki Weston, South Lodge Hotel, Horsham, Sussex
Daniel Aires, Highlands College, Jersey, Channel Islands
Danny Hoang, Viajante, London
Claire Willett, Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire
Daniel Lee, Brooklands Hotel, Surrey
Antonia Morosi, Westminster Kingsway College, London
April Lily Partridge, The Club at The Ivy, London
EXISTING FINALISTS
Julien Pickersgill, British Culinary Federation Young Chef of the Year
Josh Bingham, the highest achiever of the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate awards and the highest achiever of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence
Ben Champkin wins Young National Chef of the Year 2013 >>
Craft Guild of Chefs seeks young chef winners for Chef of Year 2014 >>
Craft Guild of Chefs names last Young National Chef of the Year finalist >>
