Compass Apprentice Chef of the Year winner revealed

Compass Group UK and Ireland has announced ESS government services apprentice chef Agnieszka Bernaciak as its 2021 Apprentice Chef of the Year.

Six apprentice chefs from across the foodservice business battled it out for the coveted title and the opportunity for their dish to be cooked at the annual Apprentice Chef of the Year VIP dinner held on 24 May at Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium.

Bernaciak and other shortlisted candidates, Nathan Racey of Levy and Dylan Patel of UK Restaurant Associates, plated up their menus for the panel of judges, which included chef Marcus Wareing and Compass Group UK & Ireland’s culinary director Nick Vadis.

Commenting on her win, Bernaciak said: “I’m still in shock, but so happy with what I’ve achieved in this competition. I really didn’t expect to win, so to be named as the winner was just amazing. I love creating beautiful plates of food; obviously taste is key, but after that, presentation is the most important thing for me.”

Wareing, who presented the award at the dinner said: “It takes a very brave chef to enter into a competition when you spend your time working in teams, especially at apprenticeship level, as to compete on your own can be hard. I judged the semi-finals as well today, and all I can say is, wow! What an amazing achievement. Every single finalist has improved so much in such a short space of time.”

Football legend Ossie Ardiles joined guests at the dinner to talk about his career and the importance of teamwork. Jonathan Foot, head of apprenticeships and early careers at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “The last year has been challenging for the whole hospitality industry, and I couldn’t be prouder that we took the decision to keep our apprenticeship programme operating throughout the pandemic. This competition is evidence of the benefits of apprenticeships in supporting the skills development of our future talent.”

Robin Mills, Compass Group UK and Ireland managing director added: “This whole competition is a huge learning experience and I’d like to say a big well done to all our apprentice chefs, who took part at every stage of the competition. Many years ago, I learned that these competitions are mainly about learning and there is a chef family which is all about coaching, developing and sharing, and that’s such a fantastic thing to see here."

Bernaciak’s winning menu:

Starter

• Prawn skewer crostini: lightly spiced prawns served on a crostini with avocado mousse and a Cheddar cheese crisp, drizzled with chilli oil

Main

• Roasted lamb loin with risotto: blushing lamb loin served with a Parmesan risotto with roasted shallots and mushrooms. Finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and pan sauce

Dessert

• Apple and mint galette: Bramley apple galette with Calvados cream and a mint sugar snap, accompanied by black butter ice-cream and warm salted caramel sauce