Young Chefs Competition 2020

Whereas our usual venue for our awards dinner is The Dorchester in London due to the Lockdown restrictions caused by the Covid 19 pandemic we moved to the Surrey countryside for lunch at Pennyhill Park.

Once again the finalist of the Jeune Chefs Rôtisseurs competition joined together with the Sommeliers finalist for the awards to be announced. We were also delighted that Marie Jones our Vice-Président International was able to join us to present the awards alongside our Bailli Delegue Philip Evins.

The 2020 winner of our Young Chef Competition was Ellie Shaw from The Clink at Brixton where she is Sous Chef and Trainer. Second was Eden Ainsworth from Cliveden Hotel and, third Liam Stofer from Mosimann’s in London.

Shaw, from Stoke on Trent, originally studied art at college, but then received a first-class degree in culinary art at the University of West London. Her prizes included stages at both Mosimanns and a Michelin-starred restaurant in Holland to help her prepare for the World Championships, plus a set of chef’s knives and a magnum of Exton Park English sparkling wine.

She said: ‘This is my first competition. I was happy just to be selected for the final – and was definitely not expecting to win the actual title. When creating this surprise menu, I decided to stick to what I knew and not overcomplicate anything, so I concentrated on British classics that diners would order in a restaurant.’

Regretfully the final in Paris was delayed in 2019 so Ellie will now take part in the event in Paris in 2020.

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