Michelin Star Chef Paul Ainsworth Announces his First Cookbook will Hit the Shelves in 2024

Top Cornwall chef Paul Ainsworth has revealed he will release his maiden cookbook this summer.

The Michelin star chef’s words, and work, has already appeared in the Padstow Festival Cookbook. But he’s finally decided to take the plunge and can’t wait for his own publication to hit the shelves in 2024.

“It’s taken a long time, on purpose,” the Southampton-born culinary expert told the Fuelling Around podcast.

“It’s one of those projects that, when you say yes, it’s huge. It’s over 100 recipes and is with an amazing publisher, Harper Collins. They’ve been amazing, they just want me to be able to pretty much do what I want to do.

“It’s not a No6 cookbook, so it’s recipes that you’ll find from Cafe Rojano’s, The Mariners and things I love to do at home. As we’ve been writing it and testing it I would say that 95% of this book is food in the middle of the table. The Oxtail ragu is in there. We’ve got about 10 recipes left to write and we’re shooting it right now.

“The team is fantastic. I suppose why I’ve waited so long to do it is that I wanted a really good reason, a real passion behind it – not just ‘oh yeah, chef does cookbook’ and join, as we all know, quite a saturated market.

“With all these recipes you’re doing them and and I know people are going to be like ‘I can do that, that’s accessible, I can get all of those ingredients.’ But at the end of I know, especially with all the tips, tricks, hacks they’re going to be: ‘I just made that!’”

The television personality was on the show to discuss his love of cars but also spoke at length about becoming one of the UK’s top chefs. Tasty tales about working under Gary Rhodes and Gordon Ramsay provide great entertainment while he also discusses what it’s been like to compete with Rick Stein in Padstow.

“I actually know Rick’s ex-wife Jill more, and I can honestly say it’s always been amicable and nice and I know his son Jack really well,” the Great British Menu judge added during his appearance on the award-winning automotive podcast.

“There’s always been a bit of a feeling that there’s enough room for everybody, but also now I think there is definitely a common ground that we compliment each other.”

Christmas Bird

Bristol chef Freddy Bird has opened his third restaurant in Clifton in the run up to Christmas. Number 1 York Place in Clifton has 46 covers and is a new neighbourhood restaurant in the former Rosemarino site. The interior decoration was conceived by Freddy’s wife Nessa who also works Front of House across all three restaurants.

Talking about the opening Freddy Bird said: “Completing on the lease took forever. We started in April and had hoped to open in July. Nessa had planned everything and we hoped to get a few weeks of business in before Christmas. In the end we got a week! It’s brilliant, though. We’re delighted to be open.”

Starters include surf clams, confit tomato and chilli, and potato soup, black truffle and chanterelles. Mains include whole squid stuffed with pork rib and trotter rice, and hake, caramelised fennel, saffron, anis and clams.

Sharing dishes include hot roast shellfish, tarragon garlic and parsley butter; whole wood grilled monkfish tail, rosemary manteca, and roast suckling pig shoulder and fabada.

www.1yorkplace.co.uk

Why are Top UK Restaurant Concepts Launching & flourishing in Miami?

It’s not called ‘The Magic City’ for nothing; the infrastructure continues to augment, moreover, investors and businesspeople are flocking to Miami in their droves, which means the economy and local restaurant scene is absolutely booming.  New accommodation being constructed on a massive scale, means more restaurants and the UK seemingly has it covered!

There are a whopping 32 new restaurant openings planned over the next 2.5 years – 14 are already open and there have been only three closures – A far cry from the scenario back in Blighty.

Recent additions have included the launch of Tom Keller’s Bouchon in Coral Gables and Gordon Ramsay’s seventh location of Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Miami.

Ramsay has also just launched Lucky Cat, located in South Beach’s quaint South of Fifth neighbourhood.

The original Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay opened in 2019, and is located in the heart of Mayfair London, but Ramsay said he thought it was the most fitting of his concepts for Miami’s South Beach, that was until he launched Hell’s Kitchen last September.

Are we noticing a trend here? I think we most certainly are!

In a recent podcast for The Miami Guide, Kurt Zdesar, Founder of Chotto Matte said that Miami was the obvious choice for his first international venue.  Originally launched in 2018, the restaurant was hampered by the pandemic, as was the case with the entire industry on a global level, however, Chotto Matte Miami has recently been relaunched and held a grand reopening last October.

The Chefs’ Forum’s Founder, Catherine Farinha recently visited Miami and took the opportunity to visit both Chotto Matte and Sexy Fish and caught up with the chefs on the cultural nuances and comparison of diversification in launching an existing restaurant concept from the UK in Miami.

First up was a lovely meeting at Chotto Matte with Head Chef Jorge Echeverry

“We pride ourselves on using locally-sourced seasonal, organic ingredients and produce wherever possible” said Echeverry – “It is really important that our menu is clean, healthy and fresh – We have a strict ban on any MSG, or GMO being used in our kitchens across all six Chotto Matte sites in Canada, America, Middle East and the UK.

“We’ve had a great festive season so far and I’m delighted to say that we’ve been very busy indeed, which is fantastic to see – Last week was Art Basel (North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair) and we were packed every night.  As you can see from the  Tokyo-Meets-Miami interior design and striking murals that adorn the walls, we have a genuine connection to art and this is communicated through every dish we plate.  We celebrated the prestigious art fair with live art throughout the week, featuring artists we work with on-going, also introducing new artists.”

“We have created a fantastic menu of innovative Nikkei cuisine – A fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and it has proven as popular here in Miami as in London with our two sister sites in Soho and Marylebone.

“ We have a whole range of tempura, delicious meats cooked on the robata grill and mouth-watering , eye-catching sushi dishes, all designed by our brilliant Group Executive Chef, Jordan Sclare.  Kurt and Jordan travelled from Japan to Peru, meeting local chefs and learning traditional techniques, which makes for a really authentic and vibrant menu. It’s great to have The Chefs’ Forum here today to show them the venue and give them a taste of the Chotto Matte Miami menu.”

It would have been rude not to have stayed to try some of Jorge’s food, as it was now 6pm, so we plumped for the Nikkei Menu II, which had lots of our Chotto favourites in the line-up:

• Shishito Peppers
• Tuna Tataki
• Salmon Tostada
• Chotto Ceviche
• Sato Maki
• Salt & Pepper Crispy Squid
• Asado De Tira
• Pollo den Miso
• Chef’s Choice Dessert – In this case Mochi and lovely chocolate treats!

We had a wonderful dinner at Chotto Matte Miami and really enjoyed meeting the team and sampling the delicious tasting menu available at just $90.00 per person.

Sexy Fish another concept first launched in the UK opened in Miami in Feb 2022, two years after its scheduled 2020 opening due to the pandemic.

Just like its UK counterpart, it serves a Japanese-influenced menu created by Bjoern Weissgerber who also helped lead the kitchen at Zuma Miami, another British restaurant concept that has flourished in Miami.

Sexy Fish is the brainchild of Richard Caring, a British businessman and restauranteur, who owns many of London’s most celebrated restaurants, including 34 Mayfair, Scott’s and The Ivy.  He’s also behind the globally renowned private members’ club Annabel’s and is a major shareholder in the Soho House Group.

A sit down and chat with Executive Chef Hugo Moran, revealed that he had in fact assisted with the launch of Zuma in Miami back in 2010 (under the same Group Exec, Bjoern Weissergerber), so this wasn’t the first time he had worked with a globalisation-specialist culinary team in taking a UK concept to Miami or vice versa in assisting with the opening of Oblix Restaurant in London.

With lived experience of doing the same job for the group in both cities, Hugo was very well-placed to help with this feature on launching UK restaurant concepts in Miami.

Hugo said

“I am really grateful to Zuma, Sexy Fish and also my constant Group Executive Chef throughout, Bjoern Weissergerber for giving me the opportunity to work around the world.  I think it’s incredibly important for any young chef to experience working in different countries.  We have been working with the Miami Dade Culinary College to recruit for our kitchens and are all about supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals – We have a young, energetic and passionate team here and I’m delighted that everyone works extremely well together.”

Originally hailing from Miami, Hugo has a great knowledge of local suppliers and chef talent, but that wasn’t the same when he travelled across the pond to open Oblix with Bjoern.  He said that he found it quite a challenge when the situation was reversed, but found the experience extremely valuable indeed.

“In America, everything has to be bigger, we have our global brand standards, but our steaks have to be bigger here in Miami! There are distinct differences in the Miami customer, versus the London customer which are vast, but both share a clear appreciation for the Sexy Fish brand and the immersive experience offered in dining with us – In Miami, size matters… so big steaks it is! We use a lot of Australian beef and lamb – We just love the quality.  I’m really lucky in that I have a full brigade here in Miami and our retention rate is great.  There is a lot of competition locally, but when your team stays, you know you’re doing something right.”

We were treated to a fabulous selection of signature dishes from the seasonal ‘Sexy Fishmas’ menu.

What we sampled:

• Salmon Tartare
• Burrata Kimchi and prawn crackers
• Rispy pink shrimp and yuzu mayo
• Tuna Belly Kombu Grilled & Smoked
• Wagyu Foie Gras & Truffle
• Whole baby chicken & Yuzu
• Prime spicy beef tenderloin
• Green Asparagus
• Grilled Brocolini Spicy Miso Quinoa

Our dessert was a beautiful platter of ‘Fishmas’ delights, available now across all four sites of Sexy Fish (showcasing the very best in chocolate and sugar art, featuring a Christmas Tree made from white chocolate and wasabi cream, with a raspberry compote centre, sprayed and decorated with stars and pears to resemble a Christmas tree, along with a reindeer made of gluten free chocolate sponge with coffee and milk chocolate whipped ganache with roasted macadamias and a salted caramel centre.

Another delicious element is the Christmas Bauble, made from a white chocolate shell, filled with strawberry and lime gel, macerated strawberries, topped with vanilla cheesecake and finished with milk crumbs, strawberry crisps, snowman pavlova, sugar snowflakes and crystallised ginger.

The bauble is covered with a semi-transparent sugar glass and finished with a golden chocolate sea creature on top – This is the ultimate in Christmas indulgence and lovely to share as a family or group as we did.

All dishes sampled, including the show-stopping Fishmas Dessert Platter are available across the four Sexy Fish sites, come January The Chefs’ Forum Team will have visited three so far – Miami, Manchester and London!

Our time in Miami was wonderful and it was lovely to see UK concepts thriving in this wonderful, magical city, where style and cool come as standard and nothing is ever too chic or flamboyant. To celebrate our trip, we will be featuring both Jorge and Hugo as Chef of the Week, so keep your eyes peeled and enjoy learning more about them both!

Any chefs interested in learning more about global career opportunities with either Chotto Matte or Sexy Fish should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Photography by Carlos Farinha

Food Standards Agency Calls for Allergy Information to be Published on Menus

Restaurants should be forced to publish allergy information on menus, according to The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and is putting its weight behind calls for ‘Owen’s Law’ to be introduced.

18 year old Owen Carey suffered an anaphylactic shock after eating chicken containing buttermilk in 2017. The family had told the restaurant staff, where they were celebrating Owen’s birthday, that he was allergic to dairy and are now demanding the change in the law.

Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “Our work with the NHS for the forthcoming publication, The NHS Chefs’ Knowledge has highlighted allergy awareness in hospitals and we are keen to promote that further. It’s clear that allergies are increasing and something needs to be done to protect the growing number of people who suffer.”

The NHS is proud to be working with Tanya Laperouse, mother of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after she ate an artichoke, olive, and tapenade baguette from a Pret a Manger store at Heathrow Airport in July 2016.

Natasha bought the innocuous-sounding baguette from the Pret store at Heathrow, unaware that it contained sesame seeds and subsequently had a severe allergic reaction within minutes of her flight taking off for Nice.

Despite her father administering two Epi-pens on her, Natasha had several cardiac arrests during the flight and died later that day at a French hospital. This story cannot be told often enough. If you don’t think food allergies are serious then you are very much mistaken.

Too many people are scared to eat out or on the go. That might sound ridiculous but, sadly, it’s true.

Food allergies are real and they are growing. This is not the space to discuss why they are growing. Instead, it’s enough to impress on chefs working in both healthcare and hospitality sectors that allergies exist and need to be taken seriously.

Natasha’s Law concerns labelling. If you prepare food on the premises and you then package it for sale then you must, by law, list all ingredients and highlight any of the 14 major allergens it may contain.

Now, Owen’s Law will serve to do the same in restaurant menus and we very much look forward to reporting ongoing progress made with this fantastic initiative.

The 2024 Student Pastry Chef of the Year is Open for Entries!

Now in its fourth year The Chefs’ Forum Student Pastry Competition of the Year 2024 is open for entries and welcomes applications from students and apprentices currently studying a hospitality and catering course or apprenticeship in the UK.

The competition showcases the great student and apprentice talent within the UK’s colleges, learning providers and universities. At the same time it also advertises the tremendous opportunities currently on offer in the pastry sector across the country and abroad.

To enter we require a CV, 3 photos of either plated desserts, cakes and/or decorative items and a description outlining why you wish to enter the competition (This could be presented as a short video or in writing).

The 12 top pastry chefs judging the final will be:

• Michael Kwan – Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester and UK Pastry Team
• Michael D’Angelo – Head Pastry Chef at Louie London
• Franciane Tartari – Executive Pastry Chef at 1 Hotels
• Enrico Carloni – Head Pastry Chef at The Peninsula
• Biju Joshwa – Executive Pastry Chef at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
• Nelson Sa – Executive Pastry Chef at South Place
• Thibault Hauchard – Executive Pastry Chef at Claridge’s
• Benoit Blin – Executive Pastry Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons/Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
• Ross Sneddon – Executive Pastry Chef at The Balmoral
• Bobby Singer – Executive Pastry Chef at Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba
• Daniel Pearse – Executive Pastry Chef at Rhubarb
• Mauro Di Lieto – The Landmark/Winner Bake Off: The Professionals 2023

Please note: This competition is open to all students and apprentices, regardless of age, currently enrolled on a culinary/hospitality and catering course or apprenticeship in the UK.

Franciane Tartari, lead judge said of this year’s winner: “This year we set a high bar for the students, and they really delivered. Kai Whittaker’s rum baba was a real demonstration of skill and showed why it is so important to study the craft of pastry. Every element of his dish was perfect, and he was a worthy winner in a strong field.”

Take look at this year’s final:

We look forward to seeing your name in lights as the competition progresses!

For more information and entry details please email alexandra@redcherry.uk.com

Jupiter Lights It Up at West London College

Jupiter Humphrey Bishop is proof that if you set your mind to something you can achieve it. The 2023 winner of The Gold Service Scholarship gave a talk to West London College students recently as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy.

“I started out studying to be a chef at Eastbourne College,” Jupiter told students. “But, during a work placement  experience at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne I started to see that front of house was just as interesting as the kitchen. My friends all chose to do work placement in a fun cafe. I thought I needed to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone and so I chose The Grand. I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

“After my time at college they offered me a job and I took it. Now, years later, I am incredibly lucky to have won The Gold Service Scholarship and my life this year, since winning, has been a roller coaster of experiences and public speaking – and it hasn’t finished yet!

“It’s a real privilege to talk to college students about hospitality. It wasn’t that long ago that I would have been sitting in the audience. My goal is to try to explain that I set out with a goal in mind. I liken it to going to the supermarket. If you go shopping without a list then you will wander round the aisles just looking before you make a choice. You might or might not get what you want. But, if you make a list before you go then you will, invariably, find what you are looking for. That’s what I did with my career choices. I decided I was going to see where I could go in the hospitality industry and at every stage I chose to go beyond what I thought I was capable of.

“I later worked at the world-famous Cliveden House in Berkshire as Head Waiter and then I applied to The Royal Household which I thought was a jump too far but was accepted and the rest is history.

“I entered The Gold Service Scholarship on the advice of my peers in The Royal Household and I am so grateful for their support and guidance. Now, I’m on a steep learning curve and so much is coming my way. I’m keen to inspire all young people that hospitality is a rewarding career and if you set your sights high you can achieve anything.

“Part of my prize for winning are some incredible experiences. I’ve been to Champagne to Laurent Perrier. I’ve been to Bangkok to the Mandarin Oriental and I’m about to go to Switzerland to study in Lausanne at a top hotel school. Then it’s off to Portugal to learn about port at Graham’s.

“My job at The Royal Household is as a footman and this means I am working on huge state occasions such as state visits and I’ve already experienced a coronation and a state funeral as well as a garden party.

“There is so much to learn and I’ve also been accepted into the Institute of Hospitality and am serving on the Youth Committee. Seriously, if I can do it… you can too! Aim high, make a list and go for it.”

Looking Forward to 2024

Focus Group. Chefs’ Lunches. Solus Lunches. Market Challenge. Taster Days. Student Pastry Chef of the Year Competition. Employer Showcase. These are the words that sum up our big 2024 following on from the ground-breaking work we did in 2023.

Our incredibly popular regional lunches are expanding next year in so many different directions. College students continue to be a big part of our calendar with our market challenge coming to Birmingham and Taster Days happening at our Academies as well as the fourth Student Pastry Chef of the Year final at West London College in May.

We’ll be continuing our international work, too, with focus events and lunches for Aussie Beef & Lamb in the diary. However, perhaps the biggest growth area for The Chefs’ Forum are the employer showcase partnerships that we are conducting with larger groups.

Next year we are working with Brownsword Hotels across their estate with a fantastic event being held at The Bath Priory in April. We took the opportunity last week to visit Jauca and his team to plan a Chefs’ Lunch showcasing chefs from the group, including Nicholas Chappell (Slaughters Manor), Mark Potts (Buckland Manor), Paul Peters (Amberley Castle) and Jauca Catalin (The Bath Priory).

While we were there, we were treated to a fabulous festive tasting menu and we simply had to capture it all on camera to give you a taste of things to come.

What did we eat?

Tart
Tartlet of Quail Eggs – Braised Onion – Shimeji Mushrooms – Winter Truffle

Scallop
Orkney Scallop – Salt Baked Celeriac – Soy & Truffle Vinaigrette – Wiltshire Truffle – Chicken Vanilla Split Jus

Pigeon­
Royal Squab Pigeon Breast – Braised Chicory – Tamarillo – Madeira Jus

Turbot
Cornish Wild Turbot – Shellfish Mousse – Squid Ink – Sea Vegetables – Razor Clams – Miso Sauce

Beef­
Dry Aged Fillet of Beef – Smoked Brisket – Salsify – Lovage – Red Wine Reduction

Chocolate
Valrhona Gianduja Dark Hazelnut Chocolate – Butterscotch – Passion Fruit

Soufflé
Apple & Blackberries Soufflé – Cinnamon Ice Cream – Blackberry Sauce

Full details of next years events will be published soon. So, get your diaries out. These are the events we have planned, so far…

• Monday 5th February – Dorset & Hampshire Lunch at Chewton Glen
• Tuesday 12th March – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Asian Kitchens at South & City College Birmingham
• Monday 18th March – Bristol Lunch at The Bristol Beacon
• Monday 22nd April – Cotswolds & Bath Lunch at The Bath Priory
• Wednesday 8th May – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Mid-range/casual dining at West London College
• Tuesday 14th May – Student Pastry Chef of the Year Final at West London College
• Monday 20th May – Birmingham & Midlands event – Afternoon tea and tour at World of Wedgwood
• Wednesday 22nd May – Aussie Beef & Lamb Focus Day for Fine Dining at West London College
• Monday 10th June – Aussie Beef & Lamb Lunch at City of Bristol College
• Monday 17th June – Aussie Beef & Lamb Lunch at Temper (London)
• Monday 16th September – Kent & Sussex Lunch at The Cave Hotel
• Monday 4th November – Cornwall Lunch at Mullion Cove Hotel & Spa
• Monday 11th November – Devon Lunch at Courtyard by Marriott Exeter

If you would like to attend any of these events please email brogen@redcherry.uk.com

We’re very much looking to seeing you in 2024!

Tom Hamblet Wins MasterChef: The Professionals 2023

Tom Hamblet, 24, Sous Chef at South Lodge Hotel in Sussex has won MasterChef: The Professionals 2023. In the final he beat Kasae Fraser, head chef at Robun in Bath and Tommy Thorn the former head chef of Ethicurean in Bristol.

Unusually, Tom works under his father, Lewis at South Lodge where Hamblet senior has been Executive Chef for the last 25 years. His mother Haley is a pastry chef at the Sussex hotel.

On winning Hamblet said: “I’m lost for words. It’s been such a good experience. I’ve done it! The trophy’s here. I’m holding it! I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”

He later told The Caterer: “Entering MasterChef was something I was very reluctant to do as it’s such a risk, but I’m obviously glad I did now, it was such an eye-opening experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learnt a lot about myself and what I’m capable of.”

He said of his parents: “It’s really nice to hear how proud they are. It’s a big moment for me and them.”

Tom’s winning menu started with a poached native lobster tail with blanched red and yellow cherry tomatoes, filled with lobster claw meat in a lobster and chilli oil, topped with a lemon verbena gel, courgette balls and a creamy lobster and tomato sauce Américaine.

The main was seared beef fillet on a bed of pan-fried oyster mushrooms, served with braised beef cheek wrapped in brick pastry, topped with a poached oyster, a lovage emulsion, salsify, beef and red wine sauce and a beef and oyster tartare.

To finish the young chef served an olive oil sponge filled with an olive oil jam, topped with a set lemon curd, crème fraiche cream, fennel tops and a fennel pollen tuille, served with a fennel seed ice cream.

Brinda Delights at City of Bristol College

The Chefs’ Forum were delighted to be at a special evening at City of Bristol College last night (30) November, to taste the wonders of Brinda’s Mauritian Delights.

Local chef, Brinda Bungaroo is well known for her blog and social media channels where she cooks for from her native Mauritius.

The Gourmet Evening, held in the The City Restaurant (College Green Campus) was an opportunity for catering students to get a valuable introduction to the food of Mauritius where Brinda grew up and was inspired by her parents and the local cuisine.

Brinda said

“I love cooking with the students, its so very rewarding seeing how much they enjoy these guest chef evenings and it’s great to see how supportive the lecturers are of the students.  It was great that we had a full house last evening and loads of positive feedback – I can’t wait for the next one.”

In simple terms, Mauritian cuisine is a hybrid of Chinese and French styles with both cultures playing a part of the history of the island (which is located in the Indian Ocean not far from Madagascar and The Seychelles).

Lola Spurrell

Desmond Smith, Restaurant Manager welcomed the guests and thanked them for the support he said

“Without customers support in attending these dinners, the students can’t practice and develop their skills to make them industry-ready, gaining valuable function experience.”

Lola Spurrell, L2 Professional Food and Beverage student was dedicated to serving The Chefs’ Forum’s table, she said

“I really look forward to these events, its so lovely to talk to the guests and meet so many different chefs cooking various cuisine types.  I am currently working at Bristol Airport in Brig & Stow, as a bar attendant and waitress and being able to hone my skills at guest chef evenings like this, really helps me with my job outside of college.”

Guests ate:

• Prawn crackers
• Bao bun
• Rouleau du Printemps (vegetable spring roll)
• Goujon du poison Chinois (fish goujon)
• Gato Arouille  (Taro fritters)

Followed by sharing dishes of

• Poulet ek la sauce l’ail
• Chicken in garlic and Asian sauce
• Poison aigre doux (sweet and sour fish)

These were both served with egg and vegetable fried rice and stir fried bok choi.

Catherine Farinha, Director of the Chefs’ Forum, said: “What a brilliant evening with delicious food from Brinda and the students, overseen by Chef Lecturer Ryan Fernandes and excellent service from Lola and the excellent front of house team, headed-up by Desmond Smith. Mauritian cuisine is so unique and it was a triumph and a great experience for the students. Hats-off to City of Bristol College for organising using such a memorable evening.”

Gourmet dinners at City of Bristol College are a four-course set menu planned by guest professional chefs. Dishes are produced by the catering students under the watchful eye of the guest and lecturer chefs, who offer advice and guidance to help them hone and develop their skills.

The final gourmet evening of the year will be held on 9 June with Chef, Author and Presenter, Romy Gill MBE. Call 0117 312 2712 to book your table!

Photography: Carlos Farinha

World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist Winners 2023

The World Young Chef Young Waiter and World Young Mixologist 2023 finals were held at the iconic Lycée Rainier lll in Monaco. The winners of the competition were announced at the Salle Empire of Hotel de Paris in Monaco, during a special awards dinner on the 24^th November 2023. Each of the three winners received a share of the $15,000 grand prize.

We are delighted to announce that the winners of the World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist competition are:

Team Singapore

The winning Chef is Ian Tan from Bottega Di Carne Singapore (right)

The winning Waiter is Belle Torres from Restaurant Zen Singapore (left)

The winning Mixologist is Zana Mohlmann from Manhattan Singapore (middle)

Ian Tan from Bottega Di Carne Singapore said: “This experience gave me the platform to be able to put Southeast Asian cuisine on the map. Not only did it get me to the world stage, but I also won it. I’d like to share with the rest of the world, that no matter where you come from, all of the food you love, be it from the street or at home all have a place in this world. I’d like to encourage everyone to be proud of their ethnicity, their culture, their food and most importantly their friends and family, may all ALWAYS dine with an open heart and an empty stomach.”

Belle Torres from Restaurant Zen Singapore said: “The WorldYCYW finals 2023 didn’t come easy for me before flying to Monaco. My visa got rejected on the first try and the second try. It was a nerve-racking waiting game, and I was losing hope to represent Singapore in the World Finals. Few days before flying to Monaco, the consulate contacted me about my visa, and voila! Visa Approved!! Fast forward to the Airport scene, there was another hiccup! Our flight was getting transferred to different airlines and so on. It was once in a lifetime experience! Lots of fun experience and learning throughout the competition, meeting unfamiliar faces but little did we know we are all connected with mutual connections. I still feel ecstatic whenever I look back on what happened. It was such an honour and humbling opportunity to bring back the trophy home as World YCYW Champion Waiter 2023, I hope we can inspire more young people to ignite their passion for hospitality.

“GO BIG or GO HOME!”

Zana Mohlmann from Manhattan Singapore said: “WYM gave me new friends around the world and in Singapore! This competition is going to be one of the best platforms for young professionals to expand their careers globally.”

The world champions were chosen from nine chefs, nine waiters and four mixologists from England, Wales, Singapore, Ireland, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Monaco, USA and Scotland. Finalists were judged by a panel of esteemed culinary experts, food critics, and industry leaders. Among the esteemed chef judges were Adam Handling, Mario Perera, Michael Kwan, Emanuele Del Signore, Paul Walsh, and Adam Thomason. The waiter judges included Simon King, Andy Downton, George Heresy, and Daniele Giovinazzo. Meanwhile, the mixologist judges were Anna Sebastian, Yann Bouvignies, Paul Robinson, and Jerome Schrotz.

Second place: Team USA

Chef Marcus Youn from Knife Pleat (right)

Waiter Regina Gutierrez from The French Laundry (left)

Third place: Team England and Team Wales

Chef Benjamin Mabley from Hartwell House Hotel & Spa England (left)

Waiter Jade Walker from the Frog England (right)

Chef Sam Everton from Coleg Ceredigion Wales (second left)

Waiter Carys Webster from Grove of Narbeth (second right)

Congratulations to all the contestants who competed in the 2023 WorldYYY finals. Their achievements not only brought glory to their respective countries but also provided a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from talented individuals in the hospitality industry.

Throughout the competition, chefs faced three challenging tasks. Task 1 required them to craft a Tarte Tatin and custard dish. Task 2 involved creating a three-course menu and preparing six plates for judges and VIP lunch guests. Waiters navigated five tasks, including section set-up, interviews and scenarios, wine pairing, a quiz, and a champagne pour. Mixologists, on the other hand, undertook three tasks: creating a cocktail from ingredients sourced from Monaco’s local market, presenting their signature serve infused with NEFT Vodka, and crafting a classic cocktail.

One of the highlights of the World Finals was the Educational Day, which was designed to enrich the knowledge and skills of young talents. This day included an exclusive tour of some of Monaco’s iconic locations, including the SBM Tour and a visit to the L’Organgerie Distillery.