2022 was a phenomenal year for Young Chef Young Waiter

Young Chef Young Waiter had a phenomenal year in 2022, highlighting and championing lots of new and upcoming talent within the hospitality industry.

It started with the launch of the first-ever World Young Chef Young Waiter. With entrants from England, Wales, Ireland, The Cayman Islands, Canada, Macau and Singapore.

The winning chef and winning waiter from each country then competed in a super glitzy final in Monaco, once again showcasing their skills to the judges Jason Atherton, Adam Handling, Ching He Huang MBE, Mark Sargeant, Mario Perera, Michael Kwan, Simon King, David Wong and Andy Downton. The two-day event culminated in an awards dinner where the winners were announced in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The World Young Chef Young Waiter competition, was established in 1979 in partnership with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association. The competition promotes hospitality as a career of choice, a profession, and a vocation. The competition is open to all young chefs and waiters from any background under the age of 26.

A hugely successful year which saw Young Chef Young Waiter go global concluded with The Restaurant Associations Gala Dinner which was held at The Savoy.

In its fifth year, the prestigious event was organised by WYCYW in association with UKHospitality and in partnership with title sponsors NEFT Vodka and Dojo.

The event raised a staggering £41,000 for World Young Chef Young Waiter Education Foundation. The foundation offers apprenticeships, internships, and scholarships to young people from all walks of life – helping to break down the barriers for young people to succeed in all areas of hospitality.

The Restaurant Association Award for Special Services to Hospitality 2022, designed and sponsored by Fabergé, was presented to John Williams MBE of The Ritz, by Robert Walton MBE.

This year’s guests included Brian Turner CBE, John Williams MBE, Celebrity Master Chef winner Lisa Snowdon, Sanjay Dwivedi, Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala, Francesco Mazzei, Dipna Anad, Atul Kutcher and Michael Caines.

Guests were treated to a Caviar and NEFT Vodka tasting during the reception, plus a Tasting Bar by world-renowned Champagne house Frerejean Frères, gave guests an opportunity to try a range of FJF Champagnes including: Blanc de Blancs, Premier Cru, NV; Rose, Premier Cru, NV; Brut, Premier Cru, NV; Extra Brut, Premier Cru, NV & Cuvee des Hussards, Premier Cru, 2012. Champagne Frerejean Frères, Extra Brut, NV was served for the duration of the evening. Wayne Woodward provided musical entertainment throughout the reception.

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At the start of dinner, guests were served two winning cocktails from the NEFT Vodka Cocktail Challenge from the World Young Chef Young Waiter . The challenge was won by Elisa Doisneau, who represented Team England, alongside chef Miltan Masha at the Monaco final. The Earl’s Garden by Elisa Doisneau is a ‘tribute to British culture, transforming the classic ‘tea time’ into ‘drink time’!’ featuring NEFT Vodka, Earl Grey Tea, St Germain Liqueur, White Verjus, Peychaud’s Bitter, Salt & Bergamot. 

Also served was a cocktail by Tilly Morris, the winning World YCTW Waiter 2022 from Wales, who was awarded the prize for most creative cocktail with I See the Sea, a cocktail inspired by Pembrokeshire in Wales and the people Tilly has met. This cocktail ‘brings a little piece of Wales to Monaco’ with Neft Vodka, Samphire, Oyster Leaf, Jalapeno Brine, Still Wild Extra Dry Vermouth, Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial & Lime Zest Bitters.

All were paired with a four-course fine dining menu designed especially by the Savoy Hotel’s top chefs:

Starter

Creedy Carver Chicken and Rhug Estate game Terrine, NEFT vodka jelly, Truffle emulsion and young shoots

Heritage Beetroot, Cashel blue Cheese, truffle honey, Pedroni balsamic, Norfolk watercress

Truffle Brioche

Intermediate
Dover sole, Oscietre caviar, Cornish Sea herbs, pearl barley risotto, Laurent Perrier Champagne sauce

Essex smoked Quinoa, Graceburn cheese, Hen of the woods mushroom, river ford organic butternut squash, winter truffle

Lemon and fennel bread – nori butter

Main course
Ayrshire beef fillet, bone marrow butter, braised shin and organic carrot tart,

truffled shallot, sauce bordelaise

British root vegetable Wellington, winter chard, glazed salsify, port and onion sauce

Baguettini, breadbasket, sourdough, Grissini

Dessert
Banana, Passionfruit, Vanilla and Rapadura sugar, chocolate, and macadamia nuts

Petit fours
Ispahan pate de fruits (Raspberry, Litchi, rose)

Cranberry and pistachio nougat, hint of Apricot

Chocolate Bonbon whiskey and Orange

Speaking about the event Robert Walton MBE, chairman of World Young Chef Young Waiter & President of the Restaurant Association said: “It is an honour for me as President of The Restaurant Association to host our fifth Restaurant Association Gala Dinner in aid of the World Young Chef Young Waiter Educational Foundation, alongside our friends and partners in the hospitality industry. The Gala is once again a key event to celebrate the achievements and amazing successes of our industry. World Young Chef Young Waiter is the future of our industry, targeting those who are 26 years and under in the hospitality industry and teaming up chefs and waiters to work together. It has long been an ambition of mine to take this unique competition to a global audience and thanks to funds from the World YCYW Education Foundation, we’ve been able to launch in eight countries this year. I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support as we look to nurture the next generation of hospitality.”

You can find out more about Young Chef and Young Waiter, here!

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