Young Chefs Competition 2014

The winners of our Young Professionals Competitions were revealed at a glittering ceremony at the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in London in March.

This was an occasion for us all to celebrate the talents, enthusiasm and desire for learning of the up-and-coming young people in our member establisments. Many thanks firstly must go to Maître Hôtelier Roland Fasel, the Managing Director of the hotel, who always ensures that the evening goes without hitch.

Taking the top accolade of Young Chef of the Year was Ricki Weston of the South Lodge Hotel, Horsham (London City).

Starting in the ballroom around a stunning apple green metallic Aston Martin Vanquish, the event was attended by members from every Bailliage together with our partners and industry guests. Our keynote speaker was Marek Reichman, Design Director of Aston Martin, who illustrated the effects that changing shape and colour have on a customer’s perception of a product. His message for us all was that great visual presentation is important in all aspects of our work – from the look of a restaurant, the dress of the staff, the style of presentation and visual impact of food on a plate.

On the night the menu designed by Executive Chef Henry Brosi, and the service, were everything that he could have wished for — especially the specially designed birthday cake!

The Young Chef finals were held the week before in the Food Services Wing at Worthy Down in Hampshire under the direction of Conseiller Culinaire Vic Laws. As always this involved creating a three course menu for 4 people out of a previously undisclosed box of ingredients, in just three hours. The judging team was lead by Maître Rôtisseur Daniel Galmiche, Executive Chef of The Vineyard at Stockcross, assisted by Cyrille Pannier, Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hampshire and Hadyn Davis, Development Chef for Carnival UK. The three top-placed contestants from the cook-off were invited to the Awards Dinner where they would learn their final placing.

Chairman of judges, Daniel Galmiche praised the ‘quality and creativity’ of the contestants and emphasized how important it is to give young talent a competitive forum, from which they can grow and develop. Narrowly missing out in the extremely close competition was runner up Deepak Mallya from Bournemouth and Poole College and the Ritz (Wessex), with Joe Gould from Lainston House Hotel (Wessex) taking third place.

Prizes for the Young Chef of the Year included knives from Wusthof, a residency at the Mosimanns Club, thanks to Officier Maître Rôtisseur Anton Mosimann, plus a week’s residency at the two-starred Michelin hotel and restaurant at the enchanting Schlosshotel Lerbach at Bergisch Gladbach — one of the best luxury hotels in Germany, under chef Maître Rôtisseur Nils Henkel — a gift of Gaggenau.

For more information about the Young Chefs Competition, please contact Vic Laws, Conseiller Culinaire: culinaire@chaine.co.uk