Ieuan Davies first chef to top leaderboard in two Craft Guild awards

Ieuan Davies has become the first chef to be named highest achiever in two Craft Guild of Chefs (CGC) Graduate Awards.

Davies, chef de partie at the Manor House hotel in Lincolnshire, took the top spot at last year’s CGC Pastry Graduate Award and this year was the highest achiever in the kitchen exam.

The 2019 results were revealed at an awards presentation at the Landmark London last Friday (6 September) with seven chefs in total passing the graduate award this year.

Joshua Rooney from Petrus, Knightsbridge; Ashleigh Hellowell at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington; and Angelica Kainth from Fenchurch Restaurant achieved the Kitchen Award alongside Davies.

Kate Mudge from Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa, Surrey; Thomas Bayliss from Le Gavroche, Mayfair; and Charlotte Bonham from the Pig hotel group received the Pastry Award, with Mudge taking home the Highest Achiever Award in pastry.

The annual Graduate Awards are open to kitchen and pastry chefs, aged 23 and under, offering young chefs in the workplace the chance to develop and test their culinary skills through a paper assessment and practical exams.

Steve Munkley, founder of the Graduate Awards and CGC vice-president, said: “Well done to all the finalists, some of whom were working in a small space. It isn’t easy in a different kitchen environment, but many turned out some stunning work.”

Commenting on the Pastry Award, chair of examiners Will Torrent added: “We saw some fantastic working practises with so much focus in the kitchen throughout the five hours.

“The Graduate Awards showcase the best of young talent and what I love about them is how we take chefs on a journey. There is always a change in the chefs from the semi-final to the mentor day and then the final, and to see their creativity in this exam was really exciting for me as head examiner.”

An award was also presented to a mentor who has supported a young chef throughout the process. This year that went to James Key from Barnsley College who helped finalist Rhys Inmon.