Le Champignon Sauvage chef and The Ledbury waiter win YCYW 2009
Rose Greene, a chef from Cheltenham restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage and Sarah Cooper waiter at The Ledbury restaurant in London have been named Young Chef and Young Waiter 2009 after impressing judges with a three-course lunch at the competition final in London yesterday.
The pair, who won £2k each, plus an extra £1k donated by restaurant columnist Michael Winner, cooked and served a three-course meal for four people from a mystery basket of ingredients at the final at Westminster Kingsway College before finding out they were winners at a gala dinner at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower.
Andrew Davis, chairman and founder of von Essen, the competition's headline sponsor, said: "Competition was stronger than ever this year and the talented under-25s had to perform to an exceptional standard to make it through to the prestigious national final. Having witnessed the excellent standard of candidates we have no doubt that this competition really does reward and encourage the stars of the future both in the kitchen and front of house."
Eight chefs and eight winners went through to the final following regional heats at Darlington College and Thames Valley University.
Chef Jenny Thoden from Aiden Byrne's Church Green Restaurant in Lymm, Cheshire and waiter Peter Saunders from Northcote in Blackburn, Lancashire, took second place in the competition while Shaun Dickens, chef at L'Ortolan in Reading and Julie Doig, waiter at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's in London came third.
Chef competitors were judged on their choice of menu, on their skill and ability in cooking the meal, and on their timing. Waiter competitors were judged on their skill in serving the meal, on their customer contact skills and on the professionalism of their wine service by a panel of judges headed up by Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce and Stephen Mannock from the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.
Bob Walton, chairman of The Restaurant Association, which organised the competition, said: "All these competitors had an extraordinary talent and we should be proud of them. Once again, Young Chef Young Waiter continues to highlight the skills and professionalism of the youngsters now making a career in the industry. They represent a very bright future for the industry."
