ABOUT YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER SCOTLAND

Promoting Hospitality as a career of choice, a profession and a vocation, Young Chef Young Waiter Scotland is a national competition open to all young professional Waiters and Chefs from any background working in Scotland’s Hospitality sector.

The first Young Chef Young Waiter Scotland competition will be open to chefs and waiters who and are under 28 years old from any background working in the hospitality industry for 2023.

The Young Chef Young Waiter competition was established in 1979, in the UK in partnership with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association to promote hospitality as a career of choice, a profession, and a vocation. Today, with is new revitalised format Young Chef Young Waiter continue to honour the next culinary and service stars globally.

For 2023, the Young Chef Young Waiter Scotland competition will be taking place at the iconic Gleneagles, Scotland for a one-day final on Thursday 12th October.

World Young Chef Young Waiter Scotland has been launched for 2023 to extend the competition around the globe. The Chef and Waiter winning duo from each country will join for a World Final that will take place in Monaco on 28th-29th November and will see the World Champions win a cash prize of $10,000.

World Young Chef Young Waiter Scotland Competition:

  • Entries are now open online for YCYW Scotland on our online awards platform https://youngchefyoungwaiter.awardsplatform.com/  
  • Online entries will close Midnight 4th September where a short-list will be selected.
  • Entry is free for Young Chefs and Young Waiters who are 28 years old or under and working in the hospitality industry in Scotland.
  • The winners will be announced after taking part in a one-day live final on Thursday 12th October 2023 at Gleneagles, Scotland.
  • The World Young Chef Young Waiter Final is scheduled for the 28th – 29th November and will take place in Monaco again for 2023.

The World Champions will win a cash prize of $10,000 for 2023.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER WORLD YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER SCOTLAND – OPEN

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 United States 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 SCOTLAND JUDGES

A panel of high-profile service industry veterans, including renowned restaurateur and Great British Menu Champion of Champions Head Chef Judge Adam Handling; Award Winning Gleneagles Executive Chef, Simon Attridge; Gleneagles Director of Food & Beverage, Phillip Gahrmann; will help narrow down the entries to a shortlist of 8 finalists - 4 chefs and 4 waiters - who will battle it out in the one-day live finale and awards party at the iconic Gleneagles, Scotland. The two winners of YCYW Scotland will take part in the World Young Chef Young Waiter Final in Monaco from the 28th-29th November 2023.

Judges - Scotland

Chef Judges

JUDGES - SCOTLAND

Adam Handling

Adam Handling Restaurant Group

His Flagship Restaurant, Frog has gained Michelin stars two years consecutively; he has cooked for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II; he’s the author of three recipe books; and he regularly makes appearances on radio and television. read more Notably, winning the Great British Menu three times, where he was recently crowned champion of champions in 2023, he has also been a regular judge on the popular BBC series. A highly accomplished Chef, Adam Handling’s beautifully presented modern British dishes start with careful sourcing of top quality, seasonal ingredients, prepared in a number of different, creative ways to enhance their inherent properties and deliver real depth of flavour and harmony whilst maintaining a firm commitment to sustainability. restaurants; gained Michelin stars; he has cooked for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II; he’s the author of two recipe books; and he regularly makes appearances on radio and television. Notably, winning the Great British Menu three times, he has also been a regular judge on the popular BBC series.

Simon Attridge

Executive Chef at Gleneagles

Simon Attridge’s career has taken him to some of the finest restaurants and hotels in London and the rest of the world, but his first position was as kitchen trainee at his local golf club, Redhill in Reigate, Surrey. This journey was to go full circle when, in 2017, he was appointed Executive Chef at one of the most iconic golfing destinations in the world, Gleneagles, in Perthshire, Scotland. read more Over the last two decades, Simon’s career has seen him take the reins as head chef at Heston Blumenthal’s acclaimed The Riverside Brasserie, and later Drakes on the Pond, where he held a Michelin star at the age of just 25. He went on to take up senior positions at the Shangri-La hotel group’s five-star properties in Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and London, and stints leading the kitchen operations of Barclay’s, Goldman Sachs and UBS in London.
Since joining the Gleneagles team in August 2017, Simon – who leads a kitchen brigade of more than 100 chefs and 50 stewards – has overseen the renovation and relaunch of the hotel’s iconic fine dining restaurant, The Strathearn, and the clubhouse restaurant, The Dormy, whilst spearheading operations at the sporting estate’s other food and beverage outlets – the Birnam, The Glendevon afternoon tea lounge, The Garden Café and The Century Bar – as well as private dining across the hotel’s 13 event and celebration spaces.
Winner of the ‘Hotel Chef of the Year’ award at The Caterer’s acclaimed Hotel Cateys Awards 2019, Simon looks forward to building on the hotel’s success and forging new culinary opportunities to strengthen Gleneagles’ position as one of the leading hotels of the world.

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WAITER JUDGES

JUDGES - SCOTLAND

Simon King

Igniting Hospitality

Simon’s career started at Amberley Castle, a Small Luxury House hotel. After completing his HND in Hospitality Management, he moved to London. While working at The Ritz he won 'Young Waiter of the Year’ 2000'. read more In 2001 Simon joined Gordon Ramsay, managing his flagship restaurant at Royal Hospital Road and opened the Savoy Grill with Marcus Wareing. He worked with Heston Blumenthal as Operations Manager for the Fat Duck Group on projects including the launch of Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental. In October 2014 moved to New York, working for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, managing the Modern. March 2018 saw Simon return to London as Operations Director for JKS, overseeing their 16 sites. Simon now runs his own business Igniting Hospitality where he shares his knowledge and experiences advising, inspiring and helping other businesses fulfil their potential.

Daniel Baernreuther

Gleneagles General Manager

Daniel’s career in hospitality started with InterContinental Hotels In Berlin where he completed an apprenticeship before finding his calling behind the bar of one of the most iconic hotels in the city. read more After a move to London in early 2003 he spent nearly six years as the Bar Manager of Claridge’s, where he took charge of the development of their drinks programme.

Daniel then worked with the Gorgeous Group as a Hospitality Consultant before joining The Savoy as part of their opening team, while developing their bar concepts for the Savoy under his consultancy remit during its pre-opening phase.

His first role at The Savoy as American Bar Manager culminated in the bar being awarded ‘World’s Best Hotel Bar’ at the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail, USA a year later.

Daniel then took on further roles within The Savoy, including Beverage Manager and Director of Beverages, before taking on the Assistant Director of Food & Beverage role. During his time in this role the Beaufort Bar was crowned ‘Best International Hotel Bar 2015’ at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, USA.

Immediately prior to joining Gleneagles Daniel broadened his expertise by taking on the role of Director of Food and Beverage at The Berkeley, where he helped support the re-positioning of their Food & Beverage offering, after the extensive refurbishment of the hotel, and was part of the reimagination of this well-established grand hotel.

Joining Gleneagles as Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Food & Beverage, Daniel took a leading role in the re-positioning of the Strathearn after its complete restoration, as well building on the foundations of F&B division as a whole and was soon promoted into the role of Hotel Manager.

As Hotel Manager Daniel was accountable for the day to day running of the hotel and drove the creation and implementation of all COVID-19 related procedures and protocols, as well as overseeing the safe operation of all guest facing services during the pandemic and soon thereafter, re-entering into a challenging hospitality landscape with record occupancies.

Daniel then completed the world-renowned General Managers Program at Cornell University, before taking on his current role as General Manager of Gleneagles at the end of 2022.

Daniel loves spending time with his family his wife Jen and his two children, William, and Mila, taking long walks and discovering new places in Scotland with their family dog, a beautiful cocker named Jackson. He has picked up cold water swimming since moving to Scotland and enjoys the great outdoors and all that Scotland has to offer.

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