The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts is now accepting entries for its Annual Awards of Excellence 2014. Applicants must currently be working full-time in the UK as a Chef, Pastry Chef or Waiter and should have been aged between 20 and 26 on 31 December 2013.
The AAE is the most prestigious award available to young people in the hospitality industry today, recognising and encouraging the most talented up and coming Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Waiters. Since it began in 1983 over 430 young people have achieved the award, setting them off on highly successful career paths.
Examination AND competition
The AAE is an examination as well as a competition: all or none of the candidates can achieve the award depending on their ability to attain the standard of excellence set by the judges. All those who successfully reach this standard will win the AAE. In addition, the winning candidate who scores the highest marks in each section will be named the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef, Young Pastry Chef and Young Waiter 2014.
How to Enter
Entry forms can be obtained from Ilisha Waring at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts on
020 8673 6300 / E-mail: ilishawaring@raoca.org.uk or can be downloaded from the website www.royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk
Closing Date for Entries: Friday 14 February 2014
Tasks
Selection is based on written entries. Successful candidates will go forward to regional Semi-Finals in April 2014 and Finals in May 2014 where they will be tested on a wide range of skills.
Prizes
All Finalists will be presented with a certificate and bottle of Laurent-Perrier Champagne at the National Finals in May.
All winners will be invited to a Gala Presentation Dinner in July 2014 where they will receive a chefs jacket or sommeliers apron, a diploma recognising their achievement and a magnum of Laurent-Perrier Champagne.
All winners of the AAE become Alumni of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.
The highest scoring winner in each section (Kitchen, Pastry and Service) will be announced at the Gala Presentation Dinner where they will be named the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef, Young Pastry Chef and Young Waiter of the Year 2014. Each will each receive prizes worth over £2000, including Victorinox knives, Meyer cookware, a specially commissioned engraved Silver trophy and a bursary from the Savoy Educational Trust which will take the form of an educational trip. Past trips include visits to New Orleans, Dubai, Mexico, Champagne, Tuscany, Barbados and St Lucia.
Annual Awards of Excellence
The purpose of the awards is to inspire and encourage young people to achieve the highest possible standards in their chosen profession – Kitchen, Pastry or Service – and to offer them clear guidelines for success in their career.
To participate in the AAE is a great learning experience in itself. It is not a competition as there is no first, second and third place, but instead any number of candidates can achieve the standard of excellence set by leading figures within the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and the hospitality industry.
Good basic skills are the essential cement with which young, ambitious members of the catering industry can build a rewarding career, while more taxing tasks help to identify the best cooks and waiters of today who will become the leaders of tomorrow.
Chefs can be tested on a variety of food preparation and cookery tasks from making a salad to butchery skills and must demonstrate that they can prepare a variety of dishes including soups and dessert and a piece of their own free interpretation.
Pastry Chefs will be expected to demonstrate the ability to work with many different kinds of materials including detailed chocolate and sugar work and a creative presentation piece, whilst having an excellent grounding in baking and plated desserts.
Waiters are tested on their knowledge and skills in a wide range of food and beverage service aspects including product knowledge, technical service skills, interpersonal skills and teamwork.