ABOUT YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER CAYMAN ISLANDS

The first Young Chef Young Waiter Cayman Islands competition will be open to chefs and waiters who are local Caymanians and are under 26 years old from any background working in the hospitality industry.
The competition will focus on sustainability in hospitality plus support the education and development of home grown talent. Young Chef Young Waiter Cayman Islands is supported by The Watermark, Grand Old House, The Wharf Restaurant, Tillies and Palm Heights Grand Cayman BWI, Ogier and the Cayman Island Government.

The Young Chef Young Waiter competition was established in 1979 in the UK and is organised by The Nth Degree Global in partnership with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association, to promote hospitality as a career of choice, a profession and a vocation. 

World Young Chef Young Waiter was launched in 2022 to extend the competition around the globe with a World Final scheduled for November in Monaco.
  • Young Chef Young Waiter Cayman Islands Competition:
  • Entries open online for YCYW Cayman Islands at youngchefyoungwaiter.com on 17 May 2022 and will close on 17th August where a short-list will be selected.
  • Entry is free for young chefs and young waiters who are 26 years old or under and from the Cayman Islands.
  • The winners will be announced after taking part in a two-day live final in September
  • The World Young Chef Young Waiter Final is scheduled for 16 November 2022 in Monaco

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER CAYMAN ISLANDS

WHY ENTER WORLD YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER

The aim of World Young Chef Young Waiter is simple: to uncover the very best young talent in our industry and help equip them with relevant skills, current knowledge and the network needed to succeed in the world of hospitality. Devised by respected professionals, the competition has a fresh modern approach that focuses on tasks and criteria that are challenging, educational and fun.

World Young Chef Young Waiter showcases all aspects of hospitality. Inspiring, empowering and inclusive, most of all we celebrate the capabilities and diversity of our amazing industry.

Many past winners have gone on to achieve huge success in hospitality and YCYW proudly supports the future stars in Britain’s kitchens and restaurants. Winners and judges have included some the industry’s great recognisable names to include – Mark Sargeant, Marcus Wareing, Simon King, John Torode, Annie and Germain Schwab, Jeremy King, Raymond Blanc OBE, Heston Blumenthal OBE, The Earl of Bradford, Lord Forte, Angela Hartnett MBE, Simon Girling and Fred Sirieix.

YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER CAYMAN ISLAND JUDGES

Judges include the most respected chefs and front of house staff in the Cayman Islands including Chef Jake Brodski of Tillies, Chef Takumi Murase of Yashinoki, Frederic Morineau Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Francesco Cappucci Food and Beverage General Manager at Palm Heights and Luciano De Riso, Head of Operations and Wine Director for Grand Old House and The Wharf.

Chairman of World YCYW Robert Walton MBE said: “We are so excited to bring the Young Chef Young Waiter concept to the Cayman Islands. This is more than a competition, this is an opportunity to introduce young Caymanians to new ways of working in hospitality with sustainability and community being key to the Young Chef Young Waiter brand. The World YCYW Final in Monaco will be an opportunity for the talented winners to meet the very best in hospitality and compete against finalists from around the globe. We’re thrilled to have incredible judges and sponsors on board from the Cayman Islands to support this wonderful competition which has a proven track record in the UK for finding the next generation of hospitality stars. Our Head Chef Judge in the UK, Michelin star chef Adam Handling, is a former contestant and will be travelling to the Cayman Islands for the launch to meet the sponsors, judges and partners. We can’t wait to open for applications and wish everyone the best of luck in the process!”

Judges - Cayman Islands

Chef Judges

JUDGES - CAYMAN ISLANDS

Chef Jake Tyler Brodsky

Head Chef at Tillies

Jake Tyler Brodsky takes diners on a voyage through the Greater Antilles. Serving eclectic fare informed by regional cuisines, Jake has a clean and refined approach to classic Caribbean dishes, inspired by local produce, seafood, and farms. read more Jake brings a range of experience, from Eleven Madison Park to Union Square Events, personal training to entrepreneurship.

Chef Frederic Morineau

Executive Chef - The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Born and educated in France, Frederic Morineau is the Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and has presided in the kitchens of some of Europe and the Caribbean’s finest four and five star dining establishments. read more He has overseen many Ritz-Carlton premium culinary divisions including those of The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota in Florida and now in Grand Cayman, where he has won numerous service and leadership accolades. In 2011 he was invited into the ranks of one of the most prestigious associations of chefs in the world: the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Chef Frederic is known for organizing Grand Cayman’s most revered culinary event, Cayman Cookout, for the past ten years alongside Chef Eric Ripert. In addition to organizing this annual event, Chef Frederic ensures each of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman’s restaurants run smoothly and continuously strives to keep the culinary capital of the Caribbean alive.

Chef Christian Reiter 

The Wharf Restaurant  

Chef Christian was born in Austria and raised on a large farm in the mountains with cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep’s and goats. Not to forget to mention the large vegetable garden and fruit trees, all grown organically. read more Our dinner table was always full of home-made produce and meats. At the age of 5 years he showed passion of cooking. He started helping his mother making homemade bread, cakes and other dishes. During school breaks he stayed with my aunt, she operated a farm to table inn, were he helped her in the kitchen. 
With age of 15 he started to work as Chef Apprentice in the best restaurant in state of Styria. After his hard three years of apprentice ship her moved around Austria working in Toque crowned Restaurants. Before he reached 20 years of age he mastered to achieve one Toque (by Gaullt-Millaut) in a small restaurant in Austria In 1992 he has joined ultra-deluxe cruise line and that’s were he got the flavor or the international word. In 1995 he went back to Austria to work in a Skiing resort area that’s where he masted two Toques. He worked in Australia, Sydney for 2 years and now resides in Cayman.  
His passion is brought out most when given fresh produce from land and sea and left alone to create the most consumptions compositions, which he has proven on countless opportunities while running his international kitchen at the Wharf for now over 20 years 

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WAITER JUDGES

JUDGES - CAYMAN ISLANDS

Francesco Cappucci

Food and Beverage General Manager at Palm Heights

Francesco Cappucci is the Food and Beverage General Manager at Palm Heights, Grand Cayman with an unquenchable passion for food and hospitality. At a young age he enrolled at the Catering Management School “Caterina De Medici” in Brescia Italy, gaining a Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering. read more Francesco has years of successful service working with prestigious establishments in Switzerland and London including Badrutt‘s Palace Hotel and the Suvretta House Hotel, Hush, Bonds and Enigma, The Neal Street as well as Silversea 6* cruises, landing in Miami where he obtained diplomas in Hospitality and Tourism, Management and High Performance Leadership. He was Operations Director for Gordon Ramsey for four years before joining Palm Heights.

Luciano De Riso

Grand old House and the wharf Restaurant

Luciano De Riso, Head of Operations and Wine Director for Grand old House and the wharf has started his career in hospitality at the age of 14, after working in many great places worldwide including the Savoy in London has set roots in Cayman where has been since 2005, read more trained and certified sommelier, runs the second largest wine program in the Caribbean and manages two of the top restaurants in the Cayman

Markus Mueri

Restaurant Owner

Born in Switzerland with a culinary education I arrived on the Cayman Island in 1989. My first Job was at the Hyatt Regency Hotel as a line Cook. In 1994 I had the opportunity to open up my first Restaurant, Smugglers Cove in GT. read more Since then we added some restaurants, DECKERS, ABACUS and KARoo. I survived global recessions, Hurricanes and tough times. I never looked back and I believe in the Cayman Islands and its future, that’s why we keep on investing in the Island

Walter Fajette

Co-Owner and Director of Agua Hospitality Group

was born in Genoa, Italy, and graduated from catering school in Italy before beginning his career as a bartender. He went on to travel abroad to work for Disney in Orlando, Florida, before he made his way to the Cayman Islands where he joined the international culinary scene. He has continued to work with both of his passions - food and people- for the last 25 years. read more In 2009, he opened Agua Restaurant, which has become one of the most decorated and recognized restaurants on the island. In 2021, he opened Next Door cocktail bar, and in 2022 he plans to open 3 new venues under Agua Restaurant Group.

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