Semi-finalists revealed for 2024 Gold Service Scholarship

Forty semi-finalists for the 2024 Gold Service Scholarship have been announced.

 

All candidates are food and beverage front of house professionals aged between 22 and 28.

 

This year’s contestants ranged from backgrounds in pubs to private members’ clubs and came from all over the UK, including Cornwall, London, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Pembrokeshire.

 

The quarter-finals were held at the Langham and Hotel Café Royal in London last month.

 

With more than 100 people qualifying, which was a record-breaking year, candidates were also tested through personal interviews, written assessments and a table layout test.

 

Edward Griffiths, chair of judges, said: “The standard of entries this year was incredible and narrowing the pool of quarter-finalists – the highest number of entrants we’ve ever had qualifying for the quarter-finals – was really difficult for the judges. We can’t wait for the semi-final where they will face further assessments, allowing them to demonstrate more of their front of house skills.”

 

The 40 semi-finalists will be taking part in the next round of the competition at Rosewood London on 20 November.

 

The final will take place on 15 January 2024 at the Corinthia London and the Gold Service Scholar will be named at a ceremony on 5 February at Claridge’s.

 

Successful candidates are

 

Rizwan Khan, general manager, Junsei, London

 

Vanessa Rieder, head waiter, Claridge's Restaurant at Claridge's

 

Fanny Descouts, assistant restaurant manager, Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay

 

Roberto Villani, assistant head waiter, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught

 

Vaibhav Chhetri, food and beverage Supervisor, A Wong, London

 

Ciro Capasso, restaurant supervisor, the Dorchester

 

Alex Sollis, guest relations manager, the Scarlet hotel, Cornwall

 

Kyle Bryant, wedding and events manager, Clevedon Hall, Somerset

 

Joseph Gregory, storyteller, the Fat Duck, Berkshire

 

Callum Robertson, floor manager, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles at the OWO

 

Luca Trento, head waiter, the Ritz London

 

Andrea Di Gangi, restaurant supervisor, Pavyllon at Four Seasons on Park Lane

 

Liam Wainwright, head waiter, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

 

Daisy Hudson, restaurant supervisor, the Clockspire Restaurant & Bar, Somerset

 

Blue Everton, events waitress, Hotel Café Royal

 

Diana-Carolina Chong, restaurant supervisor, Kerridge’s, Corinthia London

 

Etienne Harding, assistant restaurant manager, the Goring hotel

 

Serena Fedele, cocktail waitress, the Donovan Bar at Brown's hotel

 

Diana Zebro, head waitress, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

 

Rosa De Rosa, head waitress, Claridge's

 

Rohit Sharma, senior waiter, the Greyhound Pub and Dining, Buckinghamshire

 

Joe Southwood, assistant lounge manager, Corinthia London

 

Daniel Ecock, food and beverage manager in training, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

 

Scott Crowe, supervisor, Number One, Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

 

Simona Federová, chef de rang, the Ritz London

 

Francesca Merico, assistant manager, St Vincent Restaurant, Newcastle

 

Tilly Morris, assistant restaurant manager, Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire

 

Serena Buono, assistant manager, Royal Automobile Club, Surrey

 

Alanna Cross, food and beverage supervisor, Woven by Adam Smith, Coworth Park hotel, Berkshire

 

Bethany Chawner, event operations manager, Grantley Hall, Yorkshire

 

Federico Deppieri, head waiter, the Ritz London

 

Daniel Mulcahy, restaurant supervisor, CUT at 45 Park Lane, London

 

Fatima Patel, event operations manager, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

 

Alice Law, chef de rang, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London

 

Fabrizia Welman, assistant restaurant manager, Hearth, Heckfield Place, Hampshire

 

Annabel Rohm, restaurant assistant manager, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire

 

Isabella Condon, head waiter, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

 

Holly Power, F&B manager in training, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

 

Freya Ruston, assistant restaurant manager, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London

 

Leo Levinson, head waiter, Claridge’s