Chef Stagiaire Award to launch in 2014

Next January will see the unveiling of the Chef Stagiaire Award which seeks to uncover the new wave of young chef talent from across the UK. The award offers chefs up to the age of 24 an opportunity to stage at some of the country’s finest Michelin establishments with the winner receiving a trip to some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in the world. Michelin-starred chefs James Mackenzie and Richard Turner, along with Chef Director at Lexington Catering, Robert Kirby, will form the judging panel for the initial paper application phase. Then, 20 of the brightest, most innovative chefs will battle it out by completing a week-long stage at one of 20 top restaurants in the UK. The top two will move forward to the final where they will go head-to-head at two Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London under the watchful eye of executive chef at The Fat Duck Group, Ashley Palmer-Watts, who will judge them both on technique, attitude and ability throughout the one week stage. The winner will then receive an unforgettable, all expenses paid trip to work with Dominique Crenn, the first female American to be awarded two Michelin stars, at her Atelier Crenn restaurant in San Francisco. After that the Chef Stagiaire Award winner will fly on to Oman for two weeks working at Six Senses ‘Zighy Bay Resort', which was voted as Best Restaurant in the Middle East in 2012. Applicants have until 28 February to submit their initial paper entry menus. A list of the venues which will play host to phase two of the competition and more information on the competition can be found on the Chef Stagiaire website.

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