The pool of candidates come from across the industry, from pubs and private members’ clubs to Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotels. With more than 100 qualifying for the quarter final, candidates were tested through personal interviews, written assessments and a table layout test.   

Chair of judges, Edward Griffiths, said: “The standard of entries this year was incredible and narrowing the pool of quarter-finalists – the highest number of entrants we’ve ever had qualifying for the quarter-finals – was really difficult for the judges. We can’t wait for the semi-final where they will face further assessments, allowing them to demonstrate more of their front-of-house skills.” 

The Gold Service Scholarship was launched in 2012 to ‘inspire’ the UK’s up and coming front-of-house talent in food and beverage through mentoring, travel and placement opportunities, nurturing the leaders of the future.

The 40 semi-finalists selected to go on to the next round of the competition at Rosewood London on 20 November will include: 

• Rizwan Khan, General Manager, Junsei, London  
• Vanessa Rieder, Head Waiter, Claridge's Restaurant at Claridge's 
• Fanny Descouts, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay  
• Roberto Villani, Assistant Head Waiter, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught  
• Vaibhav Chhetri, Food and Beverage Supervisor, A Wong, London  
• Ciro Capasso, Restaurant Supervisor, The Dorchester  
• Alex Sollis, Guest Relations Manager, The Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall  
• Kyle Bryant, Wedding and Events Manager, Clevedon Hall, Somerset  
• Joseph Gregory, Storyteller, The Fat Duck, Berkshire  
• Callum Robertson, Floor Manager, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles at the OWO  
• Luca Trento, Head Waiter, The Ritz   
• Andrea Di Gangi, Restaurant Supervisor, Pavyllon at Four Seasons on Park Lane  
• Liam Wainwright, Head Waiter, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester  
• Daisy Hudson, Restaurant Supervisor, The Clockspire Restaurant & Bar, Somerset  
• Blue Everton, Events Waitress, Hotel Cafe Royal  
• Diana-Carolina Chong, Restaurant Supervisor, Kerridge’s, Corinthia London 
• Etienne Harding, Assistant Restaurant Manager, The Goring Hotel  
• Serena Fedele, Cocktail Waitress, The Donovan Bar at Brown's Hotel  
• Diana Zebro, Head Waitress, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester  
• Rosa De Rosa, Head Waitress, Claridge's  
• Rohit Sharma, Senior Waiter, The Greyhound Pub and Dining, Buckinghamshire  
• Joe Southwood, Assistant Lounge Manager, Corinthia London  
• Daniel Ecock, Food & Beverage Manager in Training, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park   
• Scott Crowe, Supervisor, Number One, Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh  
• Simona Federová, Chef de Rang, The Ritz   
• Francesca Merico, Assistant Manager, St Vincent Restaurant, Newcastle  
• Tilly Morris, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire   
• Serena Buono, Assistant Manager, Royal Automobile Club, Surrey  
• Alanna Cross, Food and Beverage Supervisor, Woven by Adam Smith, Coworth Park Hotel, Berkshire  
• Bethany Chawner, Event Operations Manager, Grantley Hall, Yorkshire  
• Federico Deppieri, Head Waiter, The Ritz 
• Daniel Mulcahy, Restaurant Supervisor, CUT at 45 Park Lane, London  
• Fatima Patel, Event Operations Manager, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium  
• Alice Law, Chef de Rang, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London  
• Fabrizia Welman, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Hearth, Heckfield Place, Hampshire  
• Annabel Rohm, Restaurant Assistant Manager, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire  
• Isabella Condon, Head Waiter, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park   
• Holly Power, F&B Manager in Training, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park   
• Freya Ruston, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London  
• Leo Levinson, Head Waiter, Claridge’s  

The final will take place on 15 January 2024 at the Corinthia London, with the Scholar named at an awards ceremony on 5 February at Claridge’s in London.