Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence winners announced

The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts have revealed the list of winners for the 2014 Annual Awards of Excellence.

Following finals held at Le Gavroche, The Connaught Hotel, University of West London and Westminster Kingsway College, 31 people were honoured. Six came from the kitchen category including two chefs of The Ritz London. Eight pastry chefs were awarded including two from the capital’s Yauatcha restaurant while the remaining 17 were in the service sector with four coming from Le Gavroche.

To achieve the award candidates had to attain a score of over 70% in the tasks set and judged by industry luminaries chaired by John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London and Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.

Kitchen finalists had five hours to produce a number of dishes. They all began with a lobster starter and then created either a salad or broth dish, using ingredients from a mystery box.

Then for the main, candidates had to design a saddle of mutton dish from the entry task each candidate prepared in honour of HRH The Prince of Wales and this was followed by their own modern interpretation of a rhubarb and custard.

Pastry finalists had slightly longer, five and a half hours, to produce two gateaux fraisiers, a wedding themed sugar/isomalt stand on which to display one gateau fraisier, 12 individual savarins and also 12 petit fours French style macaroons.

Meanwhile service finalists were required to decant and describe wines to the judging panel as well as set up and serve a three course meal with wines and liqueurs to a table of two guest judges.

KITCHEN:

PASTRY:

SERVICE: