Caterer and Hotelkeeper - 6766

McMEEKIN AND PRATT TOP YOUNG TALENT

FOR the second year running a woman has won the coveted Young Chef of the Year competition, organised by the Restaurateurs Association of Great Britain.

Jane McMeekin, 25, sous chef at Roscoff in Belfast, picked up the prize last week at a dinner attended by Prince Edward at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. Earlier in the day she had beaten off the challenge of seven other chefs in a contest at Westminster College to create a three-course menu based on the European region of their choice.

Runner-up was Chris Colmer of the Greenway near Cheltenham, with third place going to Jason Lynas of the Epicurean, which is in Cheltenham itself.

Serving up the food prepared by the contestants were eight young waiters, with Andrew Pratt, assistant head waiter at the Angel Inn at Hetton, North Yorkshire, being declared Young Waiter of the Year.

Ben Jones of Gravetye Manor in West Sussex was runner-up, with third place going to Paul Young of Leicester City Football Club, formerly of the Noke Thistle, St Albans.

The awards, now in their tenth year, are sponsored by American Express, with support from Caterer & Hotelkeeper.