Reynolds is delighted to have sponsored the Graduate Awards lunch held at The Royal Garden Hotel in a special celebration to mark fifteen years of the Graduate Awards. Reynolds is, in fact, one of the few original sponsors of this organisation. The Craft Guild of Chefs is the largest UK chefs’ association with members worldwide in foodservice and hospitality.
This year’s winners
Seven chefs made the grade in the 2017 Graduate Awards examination. Five chefs achieved the pass mark in the kitchen examination and two chefs in the pastry award. Chefs had to undertake a series of tests in the full day Graduate examination held at University College Birmingham. To join the Graduate Awards Hall of Fame, the chefs, aged 23 or under, had to achieve a pass mark of 85%.
Gilles Varone from Petrus Restaurant, Joe Payne from Andre Garrett Restaurant Cliveden House, Vince Vermeulen and William Keeble from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Lewis Kuciers from The Black Bull at Blidworth were revealed as the new kitchen Graduates. Amy Rose Plumb from Titchwell Manor Hotel and Hannah Catley who works at Chiltern Firehouse were declared Pastry Graduates. The highest achievers were Gilles Varone and Hannah Catley.
The History of the Graduate Awards
Steve Munkley, who founded the Graduate Awards in 2002 said: “It makes me feel extremely proud that today we are celebrating fifteen years of the Graduate Awards. The reason I created them was to ensure that there was a channel for young chefs to develop the skills they have learnt at college and take them to the next level. I always follow the careers of those who have achieved this award and have seen some go on to gain Michelin stars, win national awards, work in some of the world’s best restaurants and compete in worldwide competitions.”