After winning his first Michelin star in October 2017 at the age of just 26, Niall has a new award to add to his growing list of accolades in the shape of The Michelin Young Chef 2018 Award which was presented to him on Monday, March 26 at the European Michelin Guide Star Day ceremony in Budapest.
Speaking to The Staff Canteen, Niall said: "This award is a testament to my team's constant hard work and dedication. This award is more personal to me but my team helps sculpt this every day. It was a dream to be stood in front of all of the European 3-star chefs to be presented with this."
He continued: "It’s a testament to all our hard work at Whatley Manor, but the accolade also feels very personal. Being individually recognised makes it very special, and to be at an event with so many top Michelin-starred chefs was absolutely mind-blowing."
Five young chefs from across Europe who have recently achieved a Michelin star were selected for the shortlist of the Michelin Young Chef 2018 Award. The shortlisted chefs were selected after an assessment of their great culinary potential and their notable career progress to date.
Michelin Star credentials
Niall has worked at several Michelin star establishments in three countries, including Restaurant Sat Bains (two stars,
near Nottingham), Kong Hans Kælder (in Copenhagen, with one star) and Benu (in San Francisco, with three stars) This has resulted in Niall developing his own distinctive cooking style, Benu (in San Francisco, with three stars) marrying different culinary influences from Europe and Asia which has been described as 'precise, inventive, and delicious, Niall’s carefully crafted menu in The Dining Room at Whatley Manor is a true expression of his creative instincts.
I aspire to be as influential as all of these chefs around me. They have shown me love and support. I suppose that is what being @MichelinGuideUK European young chef of the year is all about. I can not wait to get home and hug my team. Thank you ???????? pic.twitter.com/QYsuhG0kZi
Christian Landholt, owner of Whatley Manor said: “I am so excited for Niall to have won this award! Despite having been at Whatley Manor for only 14 months, I have quickly grown to admire not only his incredible talent and creativity but also his work ethic and respect towards his colleagues. It is wonderful to have Niall as part of the team at Whatley. I now look forward to supporting him in his career and helping him achieve his further goals and ambitions."
There were many Michelin-starred chefs in attendance at the gala event, including Guy Savoy, Georges Blanc, Elena Arzak, Pascal Barbot, Raymond Blanc, and Quique Dacosta. Not only were the latest European selections for the European edition of the Guide announced, but two prestigious new prizes were presented - The Michelin Chef Mentor 2018 Award, for the involvement of a chef in training young talents, and The Michelin Young Chef 2018 Award.
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