Some of the UK’s most renowned Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers are amongst the winners of the 2013 Master of Culinary Arts (MCA). Held every four years, the MCA is the UK hospitality industry’s most prestigious award. Seventeen talented craftsmen competed in the Finals staged over the past two months. The winners, who demonstrated to the judges the high standard required to achieve this supreme honour, are:
Chefs
WILLIAM BEST, Wilton’s Restaurant
JEREMY FORD, Restaurant Associates
FREDERICK FORSTER, The Boundary, Shoreditch
JEFF GALVIN, Galvin Restaurants
STEVE LOVE, Love’s Birmingham
Pastry Chefs
WILLIAM CURLEY, William Curley
DENIS DRAME, Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa
PAUL WILLIAMS, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Restaurant Management & Service
MOURAD BEN TEKFA, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
LUIGI CAGNIN, The Ritz London
SERGIO CAPPELLO, The Travellers Club
DAVID GALETTI, Le Gavroche
ROBERT ROSE, Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road
ELAINE WATSON, The Gleneagles Hotel
The highest honour in the catering industry
“The MCA is the highest honour in the catering industry; it examines the very finest details in service, pastry and kitchen and is the pinnacle of each discipline. For me, a Master of Culinary Arts is a person who strives for perfection in their profession and has the grace and elegance to promote our craft to the next generation.” John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London / Chairman, Royal Academy of Culinary Arts
Based on the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), the Master of Culinary Arts is the ultimate accolade, awarded for outstanding craftsmanship, available to Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers in the UK. The MCA is widely acknowledged as the toughest award in the world of culinary arts; it is an intensive test of skills covering all aspects of each discipline. The judges may award the title to all or none of the candidates depending on the pass mark.
Demanding challenges
2013 was no exception and the candidates faced a high level of demanding challenges. In order to reach the finals, each discipline had to win through a number of trials that tested not only technical and artistic mastery of their craft but also the ability to work under extreme pressure of running a restaurant, motivating a team, customer service, and, in the case of the Restaurant Managers, speak two languages fluently, display universal social skills, wine appreciation and menu pairing, organising events and managing a balance sheet. Candidates were required to demonstrate supreme professionalism at all times.
In the Finals, Chef Finalists had six and a half hours to prepare and present a whole poached turbot with three garnishes and a saddle of venison with three garnishes, each for eight covers and to be presented on a silver platter.
Pastry Chef Finalists had to present a large centrepiece along a musical theatre theme then during the ten hour examination will have to produce a small centrepiece inspired by their main piece; a Gateaux St Honoré; Lollipops; Croissants and sweet pastries; and six portions of a plated dessert as designed for their entry to the competition.
Restaurant Management & Service Finalists were assessed in their preparation for and the service of a four-course meal together with an aperitif, four wines and a digestive, for a table of three covers and a table of four covers.
The equivalent of winning an Olympic Gold Medal
“The MCA is held every four years and offers the top professional chef, pastry chef or restaurant manager the opportunity to be recognised as a master of his craft. The unique characteristic of the MCA compared to other competitions is that the judges all derive from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts which embodies the elite of our profession in the UK and easily matches the elite of any country in the world. Therefore the title is pre eminent and the ultimate accolade for anyone. In my book, it is the equivalent of winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games.” Michel Roux OBE, Joint Chairman MCA Pastry Chefs