Royal Academy of Culinary Arts announces Annual Excellence overall winners
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts has announced the overall winners of this year's Annual Awards of Excellence.
They were Spencer Metzger, of the Ritz London, who won Young Chef of the Year (Kitchen); Bianka Molnar, of Yauatcha, who won Young Pastry Chef of the Year (Pastry), and Marina Emms, of the Arts Club, who won Young Waiter of the Year (Service).
The winners each achieved the highest score in their category, and were celebrated at the annual Gala dinner, held on 16 July at Claridge's.
Each was presented with a silver trophy, Meyer cookware, Victorinox knives, a bursary worth £2,000 (from the Savoy Educational Trust), and a day's work experience at Heston Blumenthal's Michelin-starred Bray restaurant, the Fat Duck.
The night was hosted by John Williams, chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and Sergio Rebecchi, chairman of the AAE Service and academician.
The dinner also commended the full list of 28 chefs, pastry chefs and waiters who achieved the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts' Annual Award of Excellence 2014, after the finals in June.
Candidates had to attain a score of over 70% in the tasks set, which for the Kitchen category included producing a lobster starter, a saddle of mutton, and a modern interpretation of a rhubarb and custard.
Pastry finalists had to produce two gateaux fraisiers, a wedding-themed sugar stand, 12 savarins, and 12 petits fours French-style macarons.
The Service tasks included decanting and describing wines, and setting up a three-course meal with wine and liqueurs, for the judges.
John Williams, chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said: "I hope that through the Annual Awards of Excellence we can motivate and inspire the industry's young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters to undertake a career of training first themselves, and then others; and to look outside the workplace to wider industry and opportunities."
The awards were first launched more than 30 years' ago, in 1983.
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts announces Excellence Awards 2014 winners >>
