From working abroad to growing in confidence, this event has given her so many opportunities since she passed the exam. We have spoken to her so she can share some words of wisdom with other young chefs.

What was it that originally made you want to enter the Graduate Awards?

The reason I entered the Graduate Awards was to challenge myself, learn new skills and meet influential people in the industry. The Graduate Awards are a very prestigious and respected event, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me.

Who was your mentor for the event and what support did you get from them?

My mentor was my employer at the time, Paul Askew from The Art School Restaurant in Liverpool. I got a huge amount of support and encouragement from Paul. He gave up a lot of his time to help me develop my recipes for the examination.

Tell us about some of the experiences you have had since you achieved the Graduate Awards

After I achieved the Graduate Award, I went on to work in L’Enclume. It was an amazing opportunity working alongside such an amazing team.

Where are you currently working and what is your job role?

I have just come back from working in Thailand at Aulis Phuket. This was a very unique experience and an amazing opportunity. Now I have returned to the UK as I will been joining Tom Barnes’ team for the opening of his new restaurant Skof in Manchester. I am incredibly excited to be part of the team.

How did the Graduate Awards help you both personally and professionally?

The thing I remember most about my Graduate Awards experience is the support and the amazing community that is involved with the event. I really enjoyed the whole process and learnt a lot along the way.

This exam helped me personally as I saw an increase in confidence, and it helped me professionally to widen my knowledge and research more into doing what I love. I had to learn techniques and skills that I have not used before in my job.

I also competed in YNCOTY in 2020 and 2022. It was an amazing experience which I really enjoyed. It was great to cook for such highly acclaimed judges and the feedback from them was invaluable. Being part of the whole event is something I will always remember!

The Graduate Awards is a really good way of getting into this competition as they seed the Highest Achiever into the final and the rest of the Achievers into the semi-finals.

If a young chef was considering entering, what advice would you give to help them through the process?

The advice I would give to anyone wanting to enter the Graduate Awards is to be confident, take risks and get everything you can from it! Don’t worry about not passing, it’s still a great opportunity to meet new people and get advice from very experienced chefs in the industry!

Want to enter?

Entering the Graduate Awards only takes a few minutes. You can find out more and complete the entry form here.