Semi-finalists revealed for 2024 Gold Service Scholarship
Forty semi-finalists for the 2024 Gold Service Scholarship have been announced.
All candidates are food and beverage front of house professionals aged between 22 and 28.
This year's contestants ranged from backgrounds in pubs to private members' clubs and came from all over the UK, including Cornwall, London, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Pembrokeshire.
The quarter-finals were held at the Langham and Hotel Café Royal in London last month.
With more than 100 people qualifying, which was a record-breaking year, candidates were also tested through personal interviews, written assessments and a table layout test.
Edward Griffiths, chair of judges, said: "The standard of entries this year was incredible and narrowing the pool of quarter-finalists – the highest number of entrants we've ever had qualifying for the quarter-finals – was really difficult for the judges. We can't wait for the semi-final where they will face further assessments, allowing them to demonstrate more of their front of house skills."
The 40 semi-finalists will be taking part in the next round of the competition at Rosewood London on 20 November.
The final will take place on 15 January 2024 at the Corinthia London and the Gold Service Scholar will be named at a ceremony on 5 February at Claridge's.
Successful candidates are
Rizwan Khan, general manager, Junsei, London
Vanessa Rieder, head waiter, Claridge's Restaurant at Claridge's
Fanny Descouts, assistant restaurant manager, Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay
Roberto Villani, assistant head waiter, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught
Vaibhav Chhetri, food and beverage Supervisor, A Wong, London
Ciro Capasso, restaurant supervisor, the Dorchester
Alex Sollis, guest relations manager, the Scarlet hotel, Cornwall
Kyle Bryant, wedding and events manager, Clevedon Hall, Somerset
Joseph Gregory, storyteller, the Fat Duck, Berkshire
Callum Robertson, floor manager, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles at the OWO
Luca Trento, head waiter, the Ritz London
Andrea Di Gangi, restaurant supervisor, Pavyllon at Four Seasons on Park Lane
Liam Wainwright, head waiter, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
Daisy Hudson, restaurant supervisor, the Clockspire Restaurant & Bar, Somerset
Blue Everton, events waitress, Hotel Café Royal
Diana-Carolina Chong, restaurant supervisor, Kerridge's, Corinthia London
Etienne Harding, assistant restaurant manager, the Goring hotel
Serena Fedele, cocktail waitress, the Donovan Bar at Brown's hotel
Diana Zebro, head waitress, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
Rosa De Rosa, head waitress, Claridge's
Rohit Sharma, senior waiter, the Greyhound Pub and Dining, Buckinghamshire
Joe Southwood, assistant lounge manager, Corinthia London
Daniel Ecock, food and beverage manager in training, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Scott Crowe, supervisor, Number One, Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
Simona Federová, chef de rang, the Ritz London
Francesca Merico, assistant manager, St Vincent Restaurant, Newcastle
Tilly Morris, assistant restaurant manager, Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Serena Buono, assistant manager, Royal Automobile Club, Surrey
Alanna Cross, food and beverage supervisor, Woven by Adam Smith, Coworth Park hotel, Berkshire
Bethany Chawner, event operations manager, Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
Federico Deppieri, head waiter, the Ritz London
Daniel Mulcahy, restaurant supervisor, CUT at 45 Park Lane, London
Fatima Patel, event operations manager, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Alice Law, chef de rang, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Fabrizia Welman, assistant restaurant manager, Hearth, Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Annabel Rohm, restaurant assistant manager, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire
Isabella Condon, head waiter, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Holly Power, F&B manager in training, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Freya Ruston, assistant restaurant manager, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Leo Levinson, head waiter, Claridge's
