With the hospitality industry having never faced a worse staff shortage, with warnings of a 60,000 shortfall of workers a year, M Restaurants Executive Chef Michael Reid and Bookatable by Michelin have partnered for a unique event to encourage young talent working in the UK restaurant industry.
An annual competition which aims to nurture tomorrow’s top chefs, the winner will be given the chance to host a ten-day pop-up restaurant at the Bookatable Young Chef Take Over at M Victoria Street in July in partnership with Champagne Pommery. For the competition, young and upcoming chefs will be asked to create menus representative of their own personality and style, with the top 50 entrants invited to M Victoria Street to cook their signature dish and present their menu to a panel of judges.
Alongside Michael Reid and M Restaurants founder Martin Williams (recently voted 17th most influential person in the UK hospitality industry), judges will include acclaimed chefs Phil Howard and Richard Bainbridge, plus Sarah Durdin Robertson (Series Food Producer, Optomen). A final judge is yet to be announced. Each night, a member of the judging panel along with Michael will be present to score the young chef on the same criteria, forming 50 per cent of each finalist’s score. The remaining 50 per cent will be awarded by paying diners.
Of the 50 entrants, 10 finalists will be chosen and mentored by both Michael Reid and Martin Williams, in order to tweak their menu design ready for the Bookatable M Takeover, taking place at M Victoria Street from 25th July-5th August. Finally, one chosen young chef will win a 10-night pop-up at M Victoria Street from 16th-30th August, serving their winning menu, plus a trip to Reims, France and the title of ‘M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year 2017’.
Entrants must be aged 25 or under and have experience working in a professional kitchen in the UK. To enter, chefs are required to create a four-course menu expressing their skill and personality, with the same four-course menu to be sold at £40 throughout the competition. Entrants are accepted until Wednesday 31st May. To enter, send menus to youngchefoftheyear@mrestaurants.co.uk. Further information can be found at mrestaurants.co.uk.
