Record number of MCA winners announced

Some of the UK’s most renowned Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers are amongst the winners of the 2013 Master of Culinary Arts (MCA). The names were revealed by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts tonight, at a glittering Gala Dinner at Claridge’s. Held every four years, the MCA is the UK hospitality industry’s most prestigious award. Seventeen talented craftsmen competed in the Finals staged over the past two months. The winners, who demonstrated to the judges the high standard required to achieve thissupreme honour, are: CHEFS WILLIAM BEST, Wilton’s Restaurant JEREMY FORD, Restaurant Associates FREDERICK FORSTER, The Boundary, Shoreditch JEFF GALVIN, Galvin Restaurants STEVE LOVE, Love’s Birmingham PASTRY CHEFS WILLIAM CURLEY, William Curley DENIS DRAME, Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa PAUL WILLIAMS, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT & SERVICE MOURAD BEN TEKFA, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons LUIGI CAGNIN, The Ritz London SERGIO CAPPELLO, The Travellers Club DAVID GALETTI, Le Gavroche ROBERT ROSE, Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road ELAINE WATSON, The Gleneagles Hotel Based on the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), the Master of Culinary Arts is the ultimate accolade, awarded for outstanding craftsmanship, available to Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers in the UK. The MCA is widely acknowledged as the toughest award in the world of culinary arts; it is an intensive test of skills covering all aspects of each discipline. The judges may award the title to all or none of the candidates depending on the pass mark. “The MCA is the highest honour in the catering industry; it examines the very finest details in service, pastry and kitchen and is the pinnacle of each discipline. For me, a Master of Culinary Arts is a person who strives for perfection in their profession and has the grace and elegance to promote our craft to the next generation.” John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London / Chairman, Royal Academy of Culinary Arts 2013 was no exception and the candidates faced a high level of demanding challenges. In order to reach the finals, each discipline had to win through a number of trials that tested not only technical and artistic mastery of their craft but also the ability to work under extreme pressure of running a restaurant, motivating a team, customer service, and, in the case of the Restaurant Managers, speak two languages.

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