The National and Young National Chef of the Year competitions will take place at The Restaurant Show tomorrow (4th October).

Below find biographies of all of this year's Young National Chef of the Year finalists.

Reece Cosier

I started my career in the kitchens at Kings Heath Sports and Cricket Club, where I worked for some time after leaving school. Whilst there, I was persuaded to take a degree course at the UCB College in Birmingham. In my second year at UCB, I was sent on a year-long work placement to the White Barn Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine. After returning to the UK and completing my degree, I returned to work in a local hotel close to my home in Worcestershire.

After some time, a desire and passion to succeed as a chef led me to realise I needed a more challenging job away from home, so I gained a placement at the Landmark Hotel in London. My success in the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Graduate Awards in 2014 and 2015 has now given me the chance to seek further success in YNCOTY. I hope that I have a great future ahead of me in the industry, and I believe that my determination and passion will allow me to succeed at the highest level.

Jonathan Ferguson

I have worked at Trinity Restaurant in Clapham as an apprentice for 7 months, then Cail Bruich in Glasgow, Demi Chef de Partie followed by my current role as Commis Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles.

It may sound strange but what inspired me to be a chef was my love of cooking shows on the television. In a somewhat naïve way, I thought it wouldn't be as hard as it looked and thought I would give it a go. However, I was proved wrong, it was harder, but I can't picture myself in a better career than the one I'm in.

I wanted to be in the YNCOTY competition mostly to test myself, but also because I really enjoy the whole process of planning, practicing and finally cooking in a competition.

Nicolle Finnie

I currently work at The Larder Bearsden having previously worked in One Devonshire Gardens and The Balmoral. Recently, I completed my HND at City of Glasgow College. Whilst studying I also took part in many competitions such as World Skills, in which I won Gold at the UK finals, and Nestle Toque D'Or.

From a young age, I’ve enjoyed cooking at home and it was around the age of seven when I realised that I could take my culinary passion and cook for a living. I started to practice as much as possible and looked into what would be the best route to go down to become the best chef I could be.

Joel Gueller

At the age of 12, I dined at the Box Tree, Ilkley and this was the first time I had experienced Michelin quality food. It blew me away and I knew straight away that I wanted to be a part of it and ‘was hooked’. 

I have been employed at Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons for three years, where I have covered the canapés, appetisers, cold starters, hot starters, breakfast, garnish and fish section. I now cook the meat and sauces. At Le Manoir, I have really developed as a chef. It’s where I have expanded my knowledge, from awareness of ingredients to how to develop inexperienced colleagues to become good cooks.

This year, I entered and won my first competition, which was the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence and have since been promoted to Chef de Partie.

Ruth Hansom

I currently work at The Ritz where I have been an apprentice for three years. Prior to this, I was working part-time at Boundary Restaurant with Frederick Forster who won NCOTY in 2011. Frederick was judging FutureChef, a competition for under 16s which I was competing in. This was my first insight into the industry and being involved in the competition was definitely what inspired me to become a chef.

Since then I have tried to compete as much as possible as I believe that it pushes you to seek new things and to learn and hone skills and techniques, both basic and advanced. This is my third time in the YNCOTY final, so for me it would mean everything to win. It's the one I've been working towards for a long time now! 

April Lily Partridge

I currently work at The Clove Club in Shoreditch and have been there for around a year. Before this, I worked for the Caprice Holdings group for five years working at various locations in the company including The Ivy, 34 and The Club at The Ivy.

When I was younger, I did my work experience in a kitchen and discovered a love for food I never knew I had. Over the years my love and passion for being a chef has exploded to more than anyone could have imagined. This competition is a way of pushing and challenging myself to be better than I am, and really show how far I have come since day one. It’s also to show that no matter how many times I got beaten down, I never gave up, I always came back fighting harder. 

Arthur Bridgeman Quin

I currently work at The Punchbowl at Crosthwaite, in the Lyth Valley, where I have been for almost three years. Before that, I worked at another pub closer to home for a year which was part of the same business.

It was at school with my catering teacher, Mr Hill, that I decided I wanted to learn to cook as well as being inspired by watching TV shows like Saturday Kitchen with James Martin. I entered the competition as I really enjoyed the chance to learn and meet new people last year.

Drew Snaith

I have been at Brunswick House for around two years now starting as a Chef De Partie and working my way up. We are a very busy operation with a small team but I love the camaraderie that it brings to our working environment. I started my career in Sheffield with a great chef called John Parsons who really taught me the fundamentals of what it is to be a chef and how to work in the kitchen. From there, I went to work at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons which was fantastic for my development and inspired my excitement about seasonality and sourcing.

I have always had an interest in cooking and have never wanted to do anything else. The YNCOTY competition has been great to network and to test myself in ways that extend beyond the normal day in the kitchen.

Daniela Tucci

The City of Liverpool College recommended me to chef Paul Askew as a potential apprentice to join the team at The Art School Restaurant. I was looking for a suitable venue to further my training and passion to work towards being a chef in the hospitality industry.

In my time at The Art School, I have been lucky enough to be mentored by Paul Askew who is joint chairman of the Northern Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Although I have had experience in other areas of the kitchen, I find my strengths to be in Pastry, an area which I very much enjoy. I entered the competition to challenge myself and to push myself to develop in other areas of the kitchen. By competing, this has given me greater opportunities and I look to broaden my skills in butchery and fishmongery.

Danny Young

Cooking has been a huge part of my life since leaving school at the age of 16. I embarked on an apprenticeship scheme with Northcote & Ribble Valley Inns, which gave me the opportunity to see all the areas of the business, which included the pub group, football stadium and Northcote.

The apprenticeship gave me the skills and opportunity to take on my first position within the brigade and within four years I was able to progress and develop to achieve the position of Demi Chef-de-Partie. As a chef, I am inspired by the seasons and produce. Here at Northcote these two things are at the forefront of everything we do. The kitchen garden is an integral part of our kitchen, and it is great to be able to work with fresh produce on a daily basis.

Today, I hold the position of Junior Sous and during my time here I have gained the title of North West Young Chef of the Year & runner-up in YNCOTY. Over the coming years I want to strive to achieve the very best that I can and to continue building on my cooking skills.