The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts has announced its 2018 Annual Awards of Excellence (AAE) finalists.

Hoping to of “inspire and encourage young professionals to achieve the highest possible standards in their chosen profession,” the Awards are open to kitchen and pastry chefs, and waiters across the hospitality industry.

Tested against the “standard of excellence set by judges”, including 2018 honorary president, Jason Atherton, all finalists who reach such standards will be awarded the AAE, while the highest scoring candidate in each section will be named the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef, Young Pastry Chef and Young Waiter 2018.

Claiming that “good basic skills are the essential cement with which young, ambitious members of the catering industry can build a rewarding career,” this year’s brief is as below:

Chefs can be tested on a variety of food preparation and cookery tasks, and must demonstrate that they can prepare a variety of dishes, including soups, dessert and a piece of their own free interpretation

Pastry chefs are expected to demonstrate their ability to work with many different materials, while having an excellent grounding in baking and plated desserts.

Waiters are tested on their knowledge and skills in a wide range of food and beverage service aspects, including product knowledge, technical service skills, interpersonal skills and teamwork.

With three heats, this year’s finals take place:

Service Final - 14 May

Kitchen Final - 6 June

Pastry Final - 19 June

Kitchen finalists

• Sam Brennan, The Woodspeen
• Amy Dahlstrom, The Pig Hotel Brockenhurst
• Mae Domino, Restaurant Hywel Jones (Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa)
• Connor Farrer, Ritz London
• Faye De Souza, Restaurant Associates (Deloitte)
• Andrew Jenkinson, Restaurant Hywel Jones (Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa)
• Alessandro Molica, White’s Club
• Joshua Murphy, Restaurant Hywel Jones (Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa)
• Antonio Puca, Royal Lancaster Hotel
• Frederick Smith, Pig on the Beach
• Jade Stevens, Restaurant Hywel Jones (Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa)
• Andrew Tratner, Trinity

Pastry finalists

• Julia Anderson, Pennyhill Park Hotel
• Sophie Bamford, 21 (Newcastle)
• Nicholas Bentley, Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons
• Bastien Carriou, Harrods
• Salome Chapier, Yauatcha (Soho)
• Richard Alexander Ellis, Yauatcha (Soho)
• Nikola Krikavova, Hakkasan (Hanway Place)
• Erika Mol, Coworth Park

Service finalists

• Dimitri Auriant, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
• Alessandro Bello, The Ritz London
• Catarina Caldeira, The Vineyard Hotel and Spa (Berkshire)
• Eleanor Dimes, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
• Elizabeth Forkuoh, The Strathearn (The Gleneagles Hotel)
• Giovanna Gucciardo, Le Gavroche
• Valerija Kirjackaja, The Ritz London
• Ryan Kenyon, André Garrett at Cliveden House
• Marion Le Bars, L'Enclume
• Gwennolé Le Bras, Sketch Lecture Room and Library
• Alistair McColm, Trump Turnberry (Scotland)
• Marion Pépin, Core by Clare Smyth
• Natalie Pope, Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons
• Alana Quigley, Gleneagles Hotel
• Andrea Saccogna, The Woodspeen
• Bethan Sampson, Pollen Street Social