They were among 17 culinary professionals that were challenged to complete a series of tasks over two months to test their culinary, patisserie or service skills. Only those who successfully completed their trials to the highest standard were invited to receive their award. They included Frederick Forster, National Chef of the Year 2011 and head chef at The Boundary Restaurant in Shoreditch, London.

John Williams, executive chef at The Ritz and chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said: “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.”

The MCA is widely acknowledged as one of the toughest awards in the world of culinary arts, which is led by chair of judges David Pitchford from Reads Restaurant in Faversham, Kent.

Michel Roux, joint chairman of MCA pastry chefs, said: “The MCA is held every four years and offers the top professional chef, pastry chef or restaurant manager the opportunity to be recognised as a master of his craft.

“The unique characteristic of the MCA compared to other competitions is that the judges all derive from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts which embodies the elite of our profession in the UK and easily matches the elite of any country in the world. Therefore the title is pre-eminent and the ultimate accolade for anyone. In my book, it is the equivalent of winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games.”

The 14 winners join an elite group of 32 existing holders of the title, which include: Antony Worrall-Thompson (1987), Yolande Stanley (2000) and Michael Newton-Young (2009).

The 2013 winners are:
Chefs
William Best, Wilton’s Restaurant
Jeremy Ford, Restaurant Associates
Frederick Forster, The Boundary Restaurant
Jeff Galvin, Galvin Restaurants
Steve Love, Love’s Restaurant

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
Sergio Cappello, The Travellers Club
David Galetti, Le Gavroche
Robert Rose, Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road
Elaine Watson, The Gleneagles Hotel