ACA names Annual Awards of Excellence finalists

The Academy of Culinary Arts has named the candidates for this year's Annual Awards of Excellence final.

Forty-six young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters (aged between 20 and 26) have been selected for the competition, which will take place in London and Scotland in June.

Those taking part in the kitchen category, at the University of West London on 20 June are:

Aaron Potter, Trinity Restaurant
Andrew Whitelaw, 1906 Restaurant
Ben Howarth, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Charles McKenna. Turnberry Resort
Danny Lee, Galvin La Chapelle
Gareth Wayt, Opus Restaurant
Ian Musgrave, the Ritz
Jack Allibone, Simpsons Restaurant
Josh Bingham, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Lorna McNee, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles
Luke Selby, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Michael Hodges, the Ebury
Simon Suffolk, White's
Thomas Swanborough, Wiltons

Pastry skills will also be put to the test on 20 June at TVU when the following chefs will be going for Annual Awards of Excellence status:

Chris Dodd, Ashdown Park Hotel
Diana Sedlakovia, Chancery Court Hotel
Gabriel Campino, London Hilton Park Lane
Melissa Paul, William Curley
Shaun Mason, Buckingham Palace
Theresa Martinez, Sheraton Park Lane Hotel

Two service finals will take place, on 16 June at Le Gavroche, London, and at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Perthshire, on 24 June. The Service finalists are:

Charles Beaini, the Hand and Flowers
Adam Willis, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Jonathan Whitemore, Ellenborough Park
Michael Heine, The Waterside Inn
Alexandre Keita, Kitchen W8
Claire Ratcliffe, Le Gavroche
Alexandre Sojfer, Le Gavroche
Benjamin Debloos, Le Gavroche
Kieran McLoughlin, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Romain Crozat, Galvin at Windows
Stephanie Srey, Galvin at Windows
Stuart McIvor, Galvin at Windows
Robert Leatherbarrow, Park Restaurant
Romain Maunier, Petrus
Alessandro Dinato, Galvin La Chapelle
Colett Becker, the Ritz
Gavin Jones, Clocktower Restaurant
Joana Maria Pons Gari, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles
Sabrina Gallo, Northcote Manor
Eleanor Bristow, Northcote Manor
Matthew Busby, Gleneagles Hotel
Mhari Mutch, Gleneagles Hotel
Swayam Roka, Gleneagles Hotel
Grant Fleming, Gleneagles Hotel
Paul Reich, Gleneagles Hotel
Laura Kerr, Gleneagles Hotel

ACA names Annual Awards of Excellence >>

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By Kerstin Kühn

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