Annual Awards of Excellence 2016 finalists announced

A total of 59 finalists have been announced for the Annual Awards of Excellence 2016. The remaining candidates successfully reached the standard of excellence required by The Royal Academy of Culinary Art.

The AAE is the most prestigious award available to young professionals in the hospitality industry today, recognising and encouraging the most talented and ambitious Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Waiters.

Since it began in 1983, over 500 young professionals have achieved the Award, setting them off on highly successful career paths.

KITCHEN FINALISTS:

Michael Clark - Pompadour by Galvin
Jack Croft - Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Alex Dome - Petersham Nurseries
Joel Gueller - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Ruth Hansom - The Ritz London
Edward Marsh - Lucknam Park Hotel
Adam McKinnon-Brahams - The Ritz London
Samuel Nash - L'Enclume
Alex Proudman - Bistro Union
Hugo Vernochet - Alfred's
Peter Webster - Beagle Restaurant
Elly Wentworth - Lucknam Park Hotel

For the Kitchen semi-finals, which took place at the University of West London, Westminster Kingsway College and University College Birmingham; candidates were required to undertake a series of tasks.

The tasks involved a theory test, a one hour skills test including preparing vegetables brunoise, cleaning and preparing squid, preparing and filleting a whole sea bass, and preparing French trimmed lamb racks from a whole best end.

Candidates were then required to present four portions of a risotto nero, salt bake the sea bass whole, cook the lamb rack with a herb crust and make an apple tart of their choosing.

PASTRY FINALISTS:

Hannah Bagshaw - Hakkasan
Polly Chan - Yauatcha
Ethan Flack - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Irish Hacon - The Langham Hotel
Corrine Jones - Hyatt Regency London The Churchill
Naomi Longfield - Hakkasan
Abigail Sole - Marc Patisserie and Bakery
Faye Weatherburn - The Ritz London
Mikaela Wright - The Balmoral Hotel

For the Pastry semi-finals, which took place at University of West London and Westminster Kingsway College, candidates were required to make a brioche a tete, decorate an Easter egg, create a caramel mou, cook an tarte au citron recipe and lunettes de romans (jammy dodgers).

SERVICE FINALISTS:

Melanie Ablinger - Lucknam Park Hotel
Ledia Alia - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Mike Ananiassen - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Rebecca Bauhofer - Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles
Stephanie Beresforde - Scott's Restaurant
Ashley Best - The Ritz London
Marion Bourgin - Luton Hoo Hotel
Giuseppe Cola - The Ritz London
Elise Corneau - Lucknam Park Hotel
Francesco De Santo - The Ritz London
Lewis Dixon - Northcote Manor
Daniel Dreiseitel - The Ritz London
Emma Drummond - The Gleneagles Hotel
Melissa Fergus - The Fat Duck
Laudy Gibba-Smith - L'Enclume
Louis Gillibert - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Innes Haywood - L'Enclume
Julia Hermann - Galvin La Chapelle
Christopher Hurle - Trinity Restaurant
Tomas Kubart - Bar Boulud
Giuseppe Laboragine - Petrus
Alexander Macleod - The Balmoral Hotel
Hannah McConnon - The Gleneagles Hotel
Emily Morris - The Gleneagles Hotel
Gerald Murati - The Ritz London
Remi Orero - The Greenhouse
James Parums - The Royal Household
Vincent Passaboc - Bar Boulud
Callum Rees - The Gleneagles Hotel
Benjamin Rushworth - The Parkers Arms
Dominik Schmidbauer - The Lanesborough
Elena Silveri - The Gleneagles Hotel
Paula Sobusiak - Outlaw's at The Capital
Gabriele Sorrentino - The Ritz London
Christopher Strachan - The Three Chimneys
Dimitar Tanev - The French by Simon Rogan
Laura Vernet - Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Hannah Watson - The Three Chimneys

For the Service semi-finals, which took place at The Ritz London and The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland, candidates were required to sit a one hour theory paper which tested their knowledge on a range of food and beverage service aspects and were interviewed by the judges about their establishments menu and wine list.

THE FINALS

The Service finals will take place at The Connaught on Tuesday, 10 May, Le Gavroche on Saturday, 14 May and The Gleneagles Hotel on Monday, 23 May, Kitchen finals will take place at the University of West London on Wednesday, 8 June, and Pastry finals will take place at Westminster Kingsway College on Saturday, 25 June.

JUDGES

• Honorary President of the AAE 2016: Heston Blumenthal OBE, Chef Patron, The Fat Duck


• Chairman of the AAE: John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London


• Joint Chairmen of Kitchen: Martyn Nail, Executive Chef, Claridge’s and Adam Byatt, Chef Patron, Trinity


• Joint Chairmen of Pastry: Yolande Stanley MCA, Lecturer in Patisserie, Westminster Kingsway College and Sarah Hartnett, Head Pastry Chef


• Joint Chairmen of Service: Sergio Rebecchi, Director, Serenata Hospitality and John Cousins, Director, The Food and Beverage Training Company