Roux Scholarship names 18 regional finalists for 2024
The 18 regional finalists for the 2024 Roux Scholarship have been announced.
This year, 14 of the chefs are new to the competition and work at restaurants and hotels from across the country in locations including Crieff, Cornwall, North Yorkshire, and Newcastle.
The 18 chefs, and two reserves, had to prepare written recipes that used one short loin of free-range gilt pork, two fresh pork kidneys, crackling and sweet potatoes.
They were submitted anonymously to the judges, who selected the finalists at the Waterside Inn in Bray on 21 February.
The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday 7 March 2024 at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.
The chefs competing in London are:
Yash Dadlani, Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, London
Max Davies, Gordon Ramsay Group, London
Oliver Dovey, Claridge's Hotel, London
Yiannis Mexis, HIDE, London
Ben Miller, Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal, London
Megan Montibert, L'Enclume, Cumbria
Karol Ploch, Kerridge's Bar and Grill, London
Jordan Randerson, the Elephant, Devon
Jacob Reilly, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, London
Darryl Shotlander, the Dysart Petersham, Surrey
Caer Timberlake, Restaurant 22, Cambridge
Rebecca Tough, Vacherin, London
Judges: Alain Roux, Brian Turner CBE, André Garrett (2002 scholar), Rachel Humphrey, Clare Smyth MBE, Adam Smith MCA (2012 scholar)
The chefs competing in Birmingham are:
Harrison Brockington, Gather Restaurant, Devon
Charlie d'Lima, Crocadon Farm, Cornwall
Steven Halligan, Restaurant Metamorphica, Lancashire
Adam Jones, Horto Restaurant, North Yorkshire
Evelina Stripeikyte, the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, Scotland
Liam Smith, Restaurant Pine, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Judges: Michel Roux, Angela Hartnett OBE, Sat Bains (1999 scholar), Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar).
The two chefs in reserve (should any finalists not be able to compete) are:
James Plowright, the Bugle, Hampshire
Kian Puerto-Terron, Bulrush Restaurant, Bristol
Four chefs have competed in the finals before: Max Davies (2023), Oliver Dovey (2019, 2020/21, 2022, 2023), Yiannis Mexis (2022), and Caer Timberlake (2020/2021).
As well as judging the use of ingredients, the judges also looked at costings and how much food wastage there would be in each dish, with some candidates losing points as a result.
Six winners from the two regional finals will go through to the national final, which will take place at the Alain Roux Culinary School at the Waterside Inn.
The final cook-off will be judged by 2024 honorary president of judges Thomas Keller, Alain Roux, Michel Roux, Brian Turner CBE, André Garrett MCA, Sat Bains, Simon Hulstone, James Martin, Emily Roux and Clare Smyth MBE.
The Roux Scholarship was founded by Michel Roux Sr and his brother Albert to offer British chefs the chance to train in some of the best restaurants in the world. The first winner was Andrew Fairlie in 1984.
It is now run by the founder's sons, Michel and Alain.
Alain said: "It was great to see so many new candidates taking part in the competition. It shows how, despite the difficulties in today's hospitality industry, so many young chefs are dedicated to improving their skills and gaining new experience by taking part in the Scholarship."
Michel said: "The successful chefs sent in a really great set of recipes that all showcase some amazing skills and presentation in their dishes. It's going to be another blockbuster of a year as we celebrate our 40th anniversary."
April Lily Partridge, of the Ledbury in London, won the 2023 Roux Scholarship.
