The President's Award is open to anyone working full-time, at a team management level or above, in food and beverage services in the hospitality industry, within the United Kingdom.

The three finalists are:

• Guy Freedman, hotel director, The Pig at Bridge Place, Canterbury
• Alexandros Kaloudas, restaurant manager, Hilton Bankside, London
• Garbor Nagyvaradi, assistant conference & banqueting manager, RAF Club, London

Wallace Vincent, president of the Réunion des Gastronomes, said: "The standard of all the candidates was extremely high and the judging panel was impressed at the high level of enthusiasm and commitment shown by the candidates - not only for their career progression, but also for the opportunities offered by the competition and with the Réunion itself.”

Final interviews will take place on 18 October, and the winner of the award will be announced the following month at the Réunion's Annual Banquet at the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel, London on Friday 1 November.

The prize for the winner includes an opportunity for mentoring by senior members of the hospitality industry, the chance to attend five Réunion des Gastronome events in the year and two years complimentary membership to the organisation. The winner of the 2018 President’s Award was Andras Lakezi.

The judging panel includes John Cousins, the chair of the judges, Alison Frith vice president of the Réunion des Gastronomes and Serge Praider, director of food & beverage at the Royal Air Force Club and past president of the Réunion.