Finalists for 2024 Roux Scholarship revealed

The Roux Scholarship has announced the names of the six national finalists who will be competing for the title of Roux Scholar 2024.

The finalists are:

• Harrison Brockington of Gather in Totnes
• Ben Miller of Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London
• Karol Ploch of Kerridge's Bar & Grill in London
• Jordan Randerson of the Elephant in Torquay
• Liam Smith of Pine in East Wallhouses
• Evelina Stripeikyte of the Glenturret Lalique in Crieff

Caer Timberlake of Restaurant 22 has been named as the reserve.

The finals will take place at the Alain Roux Culinary School at the Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire, on 8 April.

All six finalists are new to the competition and successfully impressed the line-up of judges, which included Michel Roux Jr and Angela Hartnett, based at University College Birmingham, and Alain Roux and Clare Smyth, who were at the University of West London.

During the regional heats, contestants were tasked with cooking the recipe they had submitted with their application, which involved using one short loin of free-range gilt pork, two fresh pork kidneys and sweet potatoes.

They were also challenged to produce a dessert from the 2024 mystery box, which included ingredients such as chestnut flour, Braeburn apples, blueberries and ginger roots.

At the finals, the chefs will be given the ingredients for a surprise main dish 45 minutes before the start of the competition. They will then have three hours to prepare and present it to the judges.

This year’s judging panel will be led by American chef Thomas Keller.

Image: Jodi Hinds/Matt Madden