Young Chef Young Waiter 2011 – The future of the industry

Now in its 27th year, Young Chef Young Waiter rewards the best professionals aged 25 and under. This year's winners, Chris Kenny from Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and Sophie Henderson from Restaurant John Campbell, took part in a hotly contested cook-and-serve competition. Kerstin Kühn reports

Chris Kenny from Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire and Sophie Henderson from Restaurant John Campbell at Coworth Park in Berkshire (pictured above with Bob Walton of the Restaurant Association), last week won the 2011 Young Chef Young Waiter competition. The pair were announced as the winners of the annual contest at an awards ceremony held at London's Landmark hotel on 19 October, after a hotly contested cook-and-serve competition at London's Westminster Kingsway College. Kenny, at the time senior chef de partie at Le Manoir, took the chef title, with Henderson, chef de rang at Coworth Park, winning the waiter competition.

Kenny, who also took part in the final of the competition last year, said he was "very happy" to have won. "After the disappointment last year, it feels really good to have won this year," he said. "At Le Manoir when you win a competition, you instantly get a promotion so I am now junior sous chef, which is great."

Henderson was equally enthralled: "It's absolutely amazing to have won. It's my first competition ever and I entered because I thought it would be a great learning experience for me. Never did I expect to win it."

In second place were chef Tom Barnes from L'Enclume in Cumbria and waiter Emilio Conti, also from Coworth Park, while third place went to chef Chris John from Pied à Terre, and waiter Burak Sen from the Ritz, both in London.

raising the bar

Chairman of the Restaurant Association, Bob Walton, said the standard of this year's competition was higher than ever. "There were very few points separating the finalists. The industry should be proud of these youngsters. They are the future of the industry," he said.

Now in its 27th year,Young Chef Young Waiter rewards the best professionals aged 25 and under. It is organised by the British Hospitality Association and the Restaurant Association in partnership with the Savoy Educational Trust and Sodexo.

During the competition, the chefs were presented with a mystery basket of ingredients including grouse, celery, sea bass, mussels and chocolate. Chefs were judged on their choice of menu, their cooking skills and timing, while waiters were judged on their skill in serving the meal, customer contact and professionalism of their wine service.

New special skills awards this year included best barista, best wine knowledge and best cheese knowledge for the waiters, all of which were awarded to overall winner Henderson. Chair of the waiter judges, Stephen Mannock, of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, explained: "Often contestants who don't make it to the top three shine in a particular subject so we launched these special skills awards to recognise that," he said. "Of course this year it was ironic as Sophie won all of them. She really is an exceptional talent. She had that extra dimension and passion, a very engaging personality backed up by an ability to communicate her broad knowledge with the guests."

The chefs' best skills awards included best original dish, which went to Kenny; best dessert, which was awarded to Jonathan Bone from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay; and best kitchen craft, which went to Barnes.

Meanwhile Kenny's overall winning menu comprised a starter of sea bass and mussel chowder; followed by a main course of roasted grouse with chicken and pork faggot, celeriac purée and spiced plum; and a dessert of chocolate crema with pear sorbet.

Bruce Poole, chef proprietor of the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce and chair of the chef judges, said the chefs had their work cut out for them. "I gave them only four grouse with which they had to feed six diners so they had to be clever with their main courses and make use of some of the other proteins in the basket like bacon and foie gras," he said. "Often young chefs overcomplicate things and put too many items on the plate. Overall Chris's menu was the best - well balanced and tasty."

Both Poole and Mannock announced that they will step down from their chairing posts, having overseen the competition for the past four years. Angela Hartnett, chef proprietor of Murano in London, will take over as the chair of the chef judges next year, while Mannock's successor has not yet been announced.

Hartnett told Caterer and Hotelkeeper that as the new chair of the chef judges she will add a new criteria to the judging process next year. "I want to introduce a waste category," she said. "It's vital for young chefs to understand the importance of reducing food waste."

As the 2011 Young Chef and Young Waiter winners, Kenny and Henderson received a selection of prizes including £1,000 each courtesy of the Savoy Educational Trust, a three-day visit to Villeroy and Boch porcelain factory and an overnight stay at Chateau Septfontaines, including a Michelin-starred dinner, in Luxembourg. Matthew Clark and Hatch Mansfield will take the winners, and Carine Jau from Le Manoir, on an educational trip to Louis Jadot in Burgundy.

For the first time in the competition's history there was no gala dinner held for the prize giving, due to lack of sponsorship. Mannock called for a higher level of engagement in the competition from the industry. "It's important that sponsors feel it's worthwhile to support this competition," he said. "These young people are the decision makers of tomorrow so by supporting this competition sponsors can use it as a shop window for the future."

young chef: finalists and judges

finalists
Tom Barnes L'Enclume, Cartmel - runner up
Jonathan Bone Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Steven Ellis Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Adam Handling Fairmont, St Andrews
Chris Johns Pied à Terre, London - second runner up
Chris Kenny Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxfordshire - winner
Ryan Murphy Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire
Thomas Swanborough Wilton's, London

judges
Bruce Poole chef-patron, Chez Bruce (chairman)
Angela Hartnett chef-proprietor, Murano
John Campbell consultant chef, Coworth Park
Matt Christmas head chef, Chez Bruce
Rebecca Dougill lecturer, Darlington College
David Everett-Mathias chef-patron, Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham
Gary Jones executive chef, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
David Mulcahy craft and food development director, Sodexo
Theo Randall chef-proprietor, Theo Randall at the InterContinental London
Marcus Wareing chef-patron, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley

young waiter: finalists and judges

finalists
Emilio Conti Coworth Park, Berkshire - runner up
Claudio di Somma The Ritz, London
Paul Foxon The Ritz, London
Sophie Henderson Restaurant John Campbell at Coworth Park, Berkshire - winner
Carine Jau Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire
Tobias Klaas Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, London
Burak Sen The Ritz, London - second runner up
Romain Taverne Galvin at Windows, London

judges
Stephen Mannock National Skills Academy for Hospitality
Jean-Claude Breton general manager, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Beppo Buchanan-Smith managing director, Isle of Eriska Hotel
Joel Claustre Gherkin Club director at Searcy's
Ben Dantzic Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles and last year's winner
Simon King operations manager, The Fat Duck
Geoff Lawrence Darlington College
Andrew McKenzie managing director, The Vineyard at Stockcross
Fred Sirieix general manager, Galvin at Windows

Video: Chris Kenny and Sophie Henderson win Young Chef Young Waiter