The mix of working restaurant, hotel and college chefs received the news following this week’s semi-final heats at Sheffield College and University of West London, where 20 chefs took part in the ultimate skills test to boost their careers and win a place in the guild’s hall of fame.

Having proved they have the ingredients to take what they learnt in training to the next level, the talented 10 will now be invited to a mentor day, complete with masterclasses with industry greats and gastronomic treats in the capital, to prepare them for the final’s butchery and fishmongery tests, a mystery basket challenge and the creation of a classic main and dessert.

Those that make the grade by scoring 85% or over in the final exam on August 27th will receive their award at a cocktail presentation evening at the Lancaster London on September 4th.

Awards co-ordinator Steve Munkley said: “The semi-finals have, once again, showed us the fantastically high calibre of some of the UK’s young working chefs today and getting through to this year’s final is such a huge achievement in itself.

“They now need to use the mentor day as an additional training ground and perfect their skills as much as they can to impress this year’s tough panel of judges. We wish them all the best of luck for the road ahead.”

The 10 chefs going through to the Graduate Awards 2015 final are:
Nicholas Cottrell, head chef, Dolphin House Brazzerie, Plymouth
Reece Cosier, chef de partie, The Landmark London
Alex Murtagh, commis chef, The Landmark London
Olivia Baggley, chef de partie, Wiltons, London
Grainne Kerr, commis chef, Browns Restaurant, Londonderry
Drew Snaith, junior sous chef, Brunswick House, London
Miranda Lucien-Johnson, demi chef de partie, Adam Handling at Caxton
Josie Thompson, student chef, Westminster Kingsway College
Aaron Duffy, sous chef, Grants Restaurant, Omagh
Charlie Aggett, demi chef de partie, Hartwell House Hotel, Aylesbury

With Paul Gayler MBE as the chairman of examiners, the awards give chefs aged 23 and under the chance to test the skills they learnt in college and honed in the workplace.

AAK, CCS, City and Guilds, Essential Cuisine, GRAM, James Knight of Mayfair, Mars Foodservice, Meiko, MKN, Reynolds, Savoy Education Trust, Schwartz, The London Meat Co, Villeroy and Boch, and Warner Leisure Hotels are all sponsoring this year’s awards.

Launched in 2003 to formally recognise a young working chef’s culinary excellence, the Graduate Awards test the knowledge and skills of chefs in a series of culinary challenges in a high pressured environment.