Foodservice Cateys 2021: Trainee Chef of the Year: Agnieszka Bernaciak

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Agnieszka Bernaciak’s (Agą) trained as a nutritionist in her native Poland and began her chef career when she requested a trial for a solo role in a kitchen without any formal culinary training. At Sussex Police Headquarters she is the only chef on-site and pre-pandemic was catering for 450 people daily.

Although her role in a police contract means the menu, ingredients and facilities she works with can be limited, Bernaciak has shown her creativity in adapting menus within the budget she is given. This has included using excess ingredients to create jacket potato fillings, such as tomato and chorizo; enhancing the breakfast menu with Parisienne potatoes and breakfast muffins; and adding snack items such as curried chicken wraps, spiced jacket wedges and bacon paninis at lunch.

Her job is multi-faceted and, as well as preparing and cooking food, she plans menus, ensures dishes are compliant with allergen and other safety legislation, orders ingredients, manages stock and controls food costs.

Bernaciak started her Level 3 chef de partie apprenticeship in 2020 and completed over one-third of the two-year course in just six months. Her enthusiasm for learning is almost entirely self-guided outside structured sessions, including requesting any practical classes completed online be repeated face-to-face, and requesting guidance from colleagues.

Her tutor said: “[Bernaciak’s] ability to take control of her own learning has been phenomenal, she researches new topics, practices new skills and is very strong in her ability to reflect upon practices and adjust how she works to achieve better results.”

In May 2021 she was crowned Compass Apprentice Chef of the Year, beating 26 other competitors and impressing judges, including chef Marcus Wareing. She was praised for proving her ability to deliver a fine dining menu to high standards, and led a chef brigade to serve her winning three-course menu to 46 guests at the annual Apprentice Chef of the Year VIP dinner for Compass executives at Tottenham Hotspur football stadium.

Bernaciak’s group manager said: “Aga is highly capable, talented and passionate about food. But she brings much more than that – she’s outstanding because she uses her initiative, whether adding interesting flourishes to menus or working creatively to minimise waste. She manages every aspect of our catering operations with confidence and expertise.”

The judges praised Bernaciak for showing commitment and enthusiasm while single-handedly running a kitchen.

What the judges said

“Aga is a brilliant example of what to look for in a chef – ambition, drive, a willingness to improve and never settling for second best. To run her own unit while being so new to the role, while also putting herself through an apprenticeship outside of work, demonstrates a fantastic attitude.”

Chris Gamm

“Her commitment, enthusiasm, confidence and determination was excellent. Undertaking training during lockdown and asking for face-to-face training shows such keenness.”

Sophie Murray

The shortlist

• Agnieszka Bernaciak, ESS Defence
• Rebecca Harrison, Compass Group UK

Past winners

• 2019 Nathan Racey, Levy UK