The young commis chef, who works for renowned chef Pierre Koffmann at Koffmann's at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge, was one of Team UK's hospitality competitors. The others were Stefan Howells, 21, who works at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, and Wojciech Pastor, 20, who works for The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. Both were awarded Medallions for Excellence in the confectionery/pastry chef and restaurant service categories respectively. This biennial competition saw Team UK competing against almost 1,000 competitors from 52 countries/regions in 46 categories, and were watched by more than 200,000 visitors. The winning trio's outstanding performance in the hospitality categories was part of Team UK's total medal wins of five gold, two silver, six bronze and 12 Medallions for Excellence, which were presented at a special awards ceremony at the O2 Arena. "It is an amazing feeling to be crowned the best in the world at cooking," said Murphy. "Standing on the podium receiving my medal in front of a packed venue at the 02 Arena is an experience I will never forget. This is what I've been training for all this time, and I am just so pleased I've been able to make my family, friends, training manager and all those who have supported me along the way, so proud. "Just as importantly, I hope my success will inspire others to think about their career options and that I've managed to show everyone that there are options for them. I'd definitely say that a career in cooking is very rewarding." Skills Minister John Hayes said the inspirational results were a tribute to the skill, imagination and purposeful pride of Britain's young people. "Team UK has shown that UK workers and businesses can take on the world and win – but I want many thousands more people in the UK to achieve excellence," he said. "The Government's unprecedented commitment to practical learning, with the biggest apprenticeship programme ever, is putting skills back at the centre of national life, helping people build strong and successful careers, firms and communities." Team UK is managed by the National Apprenticeship Service and was supported in its medal success by Edge, the independent education foundation, the premier supporter of Squad and Team UK and Brathay Trust, the premier training and development partner of Squad and Team UK. • For full results, visit www.worldskillslondon2011.com