ACA announces 2011 Excellence Awards semi-finalists

Following eight semi finals around the UK, almost 50 finalists have been chosen to compete at three separate semi-finals for the chance to win an award.

They include staff from Gleneagles, Galvin at Windows, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Pennyhill Park and Spa.

Successful candidates will then go through to compete at the finals, with the kitchen and pastry round held at Thames Valley University on 6 April, and the service round held at Le Gavroche on 2 April and Gleneagles on 4 April.

Heston Blumenthal, in his capacity as honorary president of the AAE, will once more lead the panel of judges, which also include John Williams from The Ritz, Yolande Stanley MCA, Sergio Rebecchi from Chez Nico, Martyn Nail from Claridges and Adam Byatt from Trinity.

The winners will be presented with a chefs jacket or sommeliers apron, a magnum of G.H.Mumm Champagne, plus the highest scoring candidates will win prizes such as Savoy Educational Trust scholarships, Meyer cookware and Victorinox knives.

The semi-finalists in the 2011 Annual Awards of Excellence are:​

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Kitchen​

Dimitair Angelkovski, Turnberry Resort

Alastair Clayton, Galvin at Windows

Tessa Clingham, Galvin at Windows

Romain Fouquet, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Anthony Hodge, Harvey Nichols

Joe Howley, Angelus Restaurant

Martyn Moody, Galvin La Chapelle

Ryan Murphy, Turnberry Resort

Jamie Randall, Galvin La Chapelle

Paul Reader, The Royal Household

Adam Reid, Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor

Ian Scaramuzza, Andrew Fairlie at The Gleneagles Hotel

Ewan Simpson, Claridge’s

Michael Tweedie, Lucknam Park Hotel

Pastry​

Alexandra Liddle, The Ritz London

Diana Sedlakova, Renaissance London Chancery Court Hotel

Aminuddin Shaikh, Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa

Glen Sharman, Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa

Fanny Zanotti, The Capital Hotel

Mike Cope, The Gleneagles Hotel

Paul Dickinson, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Stefan Howells, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Luke Woodward, The Chester Grosvenor

Service​

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Mario Acquaviva, The Ritz London

Sefano Adduci, Quirinale Restaurant

Sophie Alaimo, The Westbury Hotel

Jami Armstrong, The Turnberry Hotel

Charles Beaini, The Hand & Flowers

Houssem Belabed, The Gleneagles Hotel

Owen Bissett, The Gleneagles Hotel

Tina Diefenbach, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Steven Felix, Le Gavroche

Sylvain Forbice, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Eleanor Hails, Ye Olde Bulls Head Hotel, Anglesey

Katie Lister, The Gleneagles Hotel

Johanna Marty, The Royal Automobile Club

James Marvin, Galvin at Windows

Romain Maunier, Galvin at Windows

Sylvain Morel, Claridge’s

Lucia Mottarella, Quirinale Restaurant

Rita Nagy, The Turnberry Hotel

Johanna Naumann, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

David Nicu-Catalin, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe

Wojciech Pastor, The Gleneagles Hotel

Caterina Petragallo, The Gleneagles Hotel

Joao Rocha, The Westbury Hotel

Carlota Santos, The Gleneagles Hotel

Louise Schmidt, The Gleneagles Hotel

Burak Sen, The Ritz London

Romaine Taverne, Galvin at Windows

Sam Ward, The Ritz London