Eighteen regional finalists for the 2017 Roux Scholarship announced

The regional finals will be held simultaneously on Thursday 23 March and will take place at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.

The chefs competing in Birmingham are: Jack Brough from Fera at Claridge’s, Mayfair; Scott Dineen from BaxterStorey, (Black Rock), London; Dylan Owens at Fine Dining Company, Tattenhall, Cheshire; Ashley Randall from The George Hotel, Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight; Peter Turnpenny from Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Cumbria; and Matthew Whitfield from The Driftwood Hotel, Portscatho, Cornwall.

Chef in the London finals are Martin Carabott from Luca Restaurant in Clerkenwell; James Coe from  Harbour & Jones (Ashurst) in London; Michael Cruickshank at Bohemia in St Helier, Jersey; Oliver Downey from Fera at Claridge’s, Mayfair; Joseph Fallowfield from Kota in Porthleven, Cornwall; Daniel Lines at Restaurant Associates (Credit Suisse), London; Paul Matthews from Vacherin, (Fieldfisher), London; Alexander Robinson at Restaurant Associates (Credit Suisse), London; David Scarpato from Gemelli in Newport, South Wales; Luke Selby at Dabbous in Fitzrovia; George Tomlin at The Clove Club in Shoreditch and Fergus Wilford from Cliveden House in Taplow, Berkshire.

Judges at the two finals will be chefs Michel Roux Jr, Brian Turner, Sat Bains, André Garrett, Alain Roux, Andrew Fairlie, James Martin, David Nicholls and Simon Hulstone.

Chefs for this year's challenge will have to create a recipe to serve four people using a whole rainbow trout and live mussels accompanied by two garnishes. One garnish must include jasmine rice and a sauce must form part of the dish.

Six winners selected from across the two regional finals will go through to the national final, which takes place at Westminster Kingsway College in London on Monday 10 April.

The 2017 Roux Scholar will be announced at an award ceremony at The Langham hotel in London that same evening.