Record number of MCA winners announced

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). The names were revealed by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts tonight, at a glittering Gala Dinner at Claridge’s. 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 thissupreme 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 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. “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 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.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.