Shona Jamieson wins Cordon Bleu Scholarship Award

Shona Jamieson has been named the winner of the Le Cordon Bleu London UK Scholarship Award 2014.

Jamieson, from Aboyne, Scotland, won the prize at the culinary institute's annual Grand Final competition, which took place on 27 February.

The eight finalists had to watch a culinary demonstration before taking part in a practical session. Judges assessed how the contestants observed the demo, as well as how they performed in the kitchen. Jamieson was praised for her "strong desire to learn" and "clear dedication" to her work.

Chef Loic Malfait, academic director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said: "I am thrilled. Shona impressed us greatly with her passionate application video, and demonstrated her dedication to the culinary arts and desire to study with Le Cordon Bleu."

She will now join Le Cordon Bleu and study for its Grand Diplome qualification. She will also spend time working at the Ritz hotel in London as part of her prize.

Previous scholarship winners have gone on to work for prominent chefs as part of their prize, including for French legend Pierre Koffmann, and Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens.

Hopeful candidates must first upload a video of themselves explaining why they should be selected, and all semi-finalists are then interviewed in London about their cookery knowledge and about how the scholarship would help their career. Eight finalists take part in the Grand Final.
Cookery school Le Cordon Bleu has been managed by André Cointreau since 1984. It trains over 20,000 students, across 40 schools in 20 countries globally.

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