Restaurant Manager of the Year finalists announced
Six restaurant managers from England will battle it out next month for the chance to spend a week at a top New York restaurant at the final of the first Restaurant Manager of the Year award.
The competition`s organiser, the Academy of Food & Wine, has released its short list of six entrants who will go through to the final following the semi-finals in London on Monday (18 May). They are:
- Peter Avis, Babylon at Roof Gardens, London
- Mark Bevan, Chester Grosvenor, Cheshire
- Christopher Noone, Liverpool Community College, Liverpool
- Michael Stokes, Wiltons, London
- Alison Stubberfield, Theo Randall at the InterContinental London Park Lane
- Giuseppe Vurchio, Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford
The finalists have been asked to submit and present a restaurant concept, business plan and profit and loss account to a panel of judges and complete a short wine tasting and food matching exercise.
The winner will be announced at a dinner on 15 June at the Langham Hotel with the prize a week in New York to complete a stage at a top restaurant. The restaurant they work at will also receive a year`s subscription to the OpenTable reservation system.
The competition was launched following calls from Academy members for an event to recognise and showcase the skills of restaurant managers.
"We`ve had a great response to it," said Sophie Roberts-Brown, the Academy`s executive director.
"All the entries have been of a very high standard and from a real mix of establishments."
Competitors initially submitted a written entry outlining what qualities they thought a restaurant manager should have. They were then given scenarios to respond to that were judged by a panel including former Le Gavroche maitre d` Silvano Giraldin and Academy director Matt Wilkin.
