A special delivery has been landing at the homes or workplaces of twelve talented young chefs who put forward menus for the title of Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY). The exclusive YNCOTY chef’s jacket from Continental Chef Supplies (CCS) confirmed the chefs had done enough to impress the judges and earn one of the much sought-after spots in the final which takes place on Tuesday 8th October.
At the cook-off, competitors will be given two hours to create a three-course meal. Chefs need to serve up a filled vegetarian agnolotti pasta dish which is suitably garnished. One ingredient must have been foraged or sourced locally within this starter. For the main course, the chefs will create a dish using fresh Norwegian halibut served with a Douceur de France butter-based sauce which is suitable for a pescatarian guest.
To finish the menu, candidates will be creating their own interpretation of a filled choux dessert. This dish should incorporate fresh fruit with a complementary seasonal Boiron puree of their choice.
Nathan Cooper, senior chef de partie, Goldman Sachs, BaxterStorey was seeded straight to the final after being the Highest Achiever in both the Graduate Awards and the kitchen category of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards for Excellence.
The full line-up of finalists for 2024 also includes:
- Callum Barbour, senior chef de partie, The Star Inn, Harome
- Henry Pratt, senior chef de partie, Northcote
- Jacob Gosselin, junior sous chef, The Longueville Manor Hotel, Jersey
- Jonny Smith, senior chef de partie, Gravetye Manor, Sussex
- Keaton Cooper, chef de partie, The Angel at Hetton
- Keira Carolan, demi chef de partie, Henrock, Windermere
- Lewis Nicholas, junior sous chef, Lympstone Manor, Devon
- Matt Robinson, sous chef, Eleanore, Edinburgh
- Nathan Johnson, junior sous chef, Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath
- Reuben Flatman, demi chef de partie, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons
- Rosie Welch, chef de partie, L’Enclume, Cartmel
In September, the chefs will attend the popular mentor experience at Waitrose Food Innovation Studio where they will be able to watch masterclasses, learn more about ingredients from sponsors and make the important decision of which Churchill crockery to serve up their dishes on.
Chair of judges, Russell Bateman who is head chef at The Falcon in Castle Ashby said: “I’ve not judged this particular stage of the Young National Chef of the Year competition before, and I was really impressed with the standard. There was some intelligent and innovative cooking on display from these young chefs and I know we are going to have our work cut out in finding the winner. I’d encourage the chefs to use the next few months to listen to feedback, refine their dishes and practise in a variety of situations beforehand. As a former winner of the senior competition, I know that a new environment and the time limit pushes you out of your comfort zone but opportunities like this don’t come along very often so give it everything you have.”
Competition director and food innovation & sustainability director at Sodexo UK and Ireland, David Mulcahy added: “This year, we reached out to our YNCOTY ambassador chef group made up of the UKs leading chefs to nominate additional young candidates. Alongside, those who were seeded from other competitions, these finalists are from some incredible establishments and businesses. However, on final day, they will be cooking their own food, and the competition will provide a fantastic platform for them to raise their profiles and put their skills to the test. These chefs are the ones to watch and having seen their menus, I know the future of the industry is in great hands.”
The new Young Chef of the Year will be unveiled after the final at a VIP Awards evening in front of some of the industry’s biggest names at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square.
The Young National Chef of the Year competition is supported by Seafood from Norway, Les Vergers Boiron, Douceur de France, Churchill and HIT Training.