Pennington, who works at the single-site Michelin-starred restaurant in Cumbria, was presented with the title at an event held at Claridges in London. His win highlights the depth of front-of-house talent emerging beyond multi-site groups and luxury hotel brands.

Launched in 2012, the Gold Service Scholarship offers young front-of-house professionals, in food & beverage, the opportunity to hone their craft through mentoring, travel and placement opportunities provided by the industry’s most senior service professionals.

Highly commended awards were also presented to Giacomo Arcadu, manager in training at The Lanesborough in London, and Caoimhe Houston, former head waiter at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, in recognition of their exceptional performance throughout the competition.

Pennington was selected as the Scholar from a cohort of ten finalists who competed in the final earlier this year, where they were tasked with preparing for and delivering a three-course lunch for VIP guests under intense scrutiny from senior industry judges.

Chairman Alastair Storey said: “It is extremely encouraging to see such a high calibre of young front-of-house professionals flourishing across all parts of our industry. Joel’s win is particularly significant, as it demonstrates that excellence in service is thriving not only in global luxury brands but also in independent, single-site restaurants.

“The continued growth of Team Gold, now made up of more than 100 alumni, has created an extraordinary platform for professional development, both in the UK and internationally.”

As the new Scholar, Pennington will receive a bespoke programme of prizes and professional development opportunities designed to support his long-term career in hospitality.

Pennington and his fellow highly commended finalists will benefit from work experience at some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and restaurants, including Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Hong Kong, an overseas Rocco Forte hotel, a State Banquet at Windsor Castle, as well as a visit to Laurent-Perrier in Champagne.

All winning finalists will also receive a range of additional development opportunities, including:

• A trip to Porto, courtesy of Graham’s Port
• A bespoke development programme at EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland
• Stages at leading restaurants
• The opportunity to work at a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace
• Automatically join the Team Gold alumni network