The winners of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs British young sommelier and chef awards for 2020 will now be announced in London on 20 November.
The news was confirmed by Philip Evins, bailli délégué for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs GB. The competitions, which are open to young professionals aged 27 and under, took place earlier this year prior to lockdown.
By mid-March, the finalists had been picked and had already gathered to compete for a chance to represent Great Britain in the world championships in Paris and Lyon. The world championships have been cancelled, but this year’s winners will go on to compete in next year’s competition, along with the 2021 victors.
While the overall winners of both competitions have yet to be announced, as the highest scoring chef finalist under 23, 22-year-old Eden Allsworth, who is demi chef de partie at the Cliveden Hotel in Berkshire, will go forward to the Craft Guild of Chefs National Young Chef of the Year competition, which is scheduled to be held in September. It is hoped she will follow on from the success of previous British winners, including Jordon Powell from South Lodge Hotel, Sussex, who came in second place last year, and recent Great British Menu finalist Ruth Hansom, who won in 2016.
However, the big reveal will take place at the awards dinner on Friday 20 November at the Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park, after the ceremony, scheduled for 20 March, was cancelled.
Evins commented: “This has left our worthy finalists on tenterhooks for the past few months. Now we can look forward a celebration event in November for family, friends and Chaine members, when we will honour all they had achieved at the start of the year. Unfortunately, there are no World Championships to plan for, but the 2020 winners will be able to go forward to next year’s contests alongside the 2021 title holders.”
During the ceremony, the second winner for the annual Gerard Basset Trophy will be unveiled, an award given to the sommelier scoring the highest marks in the blind tasting and food matching element of the test.
The four sommelier finalists are as follows: Melania Battiston, 24, of Medlar in London, Tony Lecuroux, 24, Moor Hall in Lancashire, Zareh Mestrobyan, 27, Cliveden Hotel, Buckinghamshire, and Paul Robineau, 27, The Dorchester.
The chef finalists are: Eden Allsworth, 22, Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire, Elie Shaw, 23, The Clink, London, and Liam Stofer, 25, Mosimanns, London.
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