The leading lights of the hospitality industry came together on Wednesday 16th July to celebrate the winners of the Annual Awards of Excellence (AAE). The evening was hosted by John Williams MBE, Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and Sergio Rebecchi, Academician and Chairman of the AAE Service, who announced three overall winners:
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef of the Year: Spencer Metzger, The Ritz London
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Pastry Chef of the Year: Bianka Molnar, Yauatcha
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Waiter of the Year: Marina Emms, The Arts Club
The winners received silver trophies (donated by Gordon Hogg and Finclass), Meyer Cookware, Victorinox Knives, a bursary worth £2,000 – thanks to the generous support of the Savoy Educational Trust – and also a day’s work experience at The Fat Duck.
The Gala Dinner also celebrated a further 28 talented young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters who successfully achieved the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ Annual Award of Excellence 2014, in finals held in June.
KITCHEN:
| Rosie Angus | Coutts, The Strand |
| AdamBateman | Restaurant Associates |
| Martin Carabott | Royal Automobile Club |
| Oliver Downey | Le Gavroche |
| Spencer Metzger | The Ritz London |
| Tom Phillips | The Ritz London |
PASTRY:
| Jamie Houghton | Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons |
| Aisha Ibrahim | Hakkasan Mayfair |
| Sam Leatherby | London Hilton on Park Lane |
| Rhiann Mead | William Curley Pâtissier Chocolatier |
| Bianka Molnar | Yauatcha, London |
| Marco Pagos | Yauatcha, London |
| Steven Sherry | William Curley Pâtissier Chocolatier |
| Kae Shibata | The Ritz London |
SERVICE:
| Sandra Bein | Le Gavroche |
| Julia Brandacher | Outlaw’s at the Capital |
| Valentina Carbone | Restaurant Associates |
| Adam Chambers | Café 21, Newcastle |
| James Dougan | The Waterside Inn |
| Steven Driscoll | Koffmann’s at The Berkeley |
| Marina Emms | The Arts Club, Dover Street |
| Stephen Garrod | Park Restaurant, Lucknam Park Hotel |
| Daniel Harrison | Strathearn Restaurant, The Gleneagles Hotel |
| Manuel Marchetti | Galvin at Windows |
| Nicola Mognol | Le Gavroche |
| Stefano Parolin | The Ritz London |
| Zoe Simonneaux | Restaurant Gordon Ramsay |
| Doriane Stadelmann | Le Gavroche |
| Aurelien Torresan | Le Gavroche |
| Wouter Van Giel | Claridge’s |
| Nicholas Winfield | Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons |
To achieve the award, candidates had to attain a score of over 70% in the tasks set and judged by industry luminaries chaired by John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London and Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (see end for full list of judges).
John Williams, Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts said: “I hope that through the Annual Awards of Excellence we can motivate and inspire the industry’s young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters to undertake a career of training first themselves, and then others; and to look outside the workplace to wider industry and opportunities.”
Kitchen Finalists had 5 hours to produce a lobster starter, either a salad or broth dish, using ingredients from a mystery box; a saddle of mutton dish from the entry task each candidate prepared in honour of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales; and their own modern interpretation of a rhubarb and custard.
Pastry Finalists had 5.5 hours to produce two gateaux fraisiers; a wedding themed sugar/isomalt stand on which to display one gateau fraisier; 12 individual savarins; and 12 petits fours French style macarons
Service Finalists were required to decant and describe wines to the judging panel, as well as set up and serve a 3 course meal with wines and liqueurs to a table of two guest judges.