ABOUT WORLD YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER SINGAPORE

The first Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore competition 2022 was open to Chefs and Waiters who were based in Singapore and were 26 years old and under from any background working in the hospitality industry. The competition focused on sustainability in hospitality as well as supporting the education and development of local talent.

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

Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore was launched in 2022 extending the competition around the globe with the World Finals that took place on the 16th of November at The Maybourne Riviera, Monaco.

Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore will be back to compete on the global stage again for 2023

For 2023, the Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore competition will be taking place at the iconic Pullman Orchard Hotel for a one-day final on Sunday 8th October.

Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore has been launched again 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 23rd-24th November and will see the World Champions win a cash prize of $10,000.

Newly Launched for 2023, World Young Mixologist will be initially launched in Singapore, England, and the USA where the 3 finalists from each country will attend Monaco alongside the Young Chef Young Waiter Competition, you can find out more about the Young Mixologist Competition in this link youngchefyoungwaiter.com/mixologist-competition-2023/

Young Chef Young Waiter Singapore Competition:

  • Entries are now open online for YCYW Singapore on our online awards platform youngchefyoungwaiter.awardsplatform.com/
  • Online entries will close Midnight 24th August 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 Singapore.
  • The winners will be announced after taking part in a one-day live final on Thursday 8th October 2023 at Pullman Orchard Hotel.
  • The World Young Chef Young Waiter Final is scheduled for the 23rd-24th November and will take place at the Lycée Rainier III in Monaco for 2023.

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

CLICK HERE TO ENTER WORLD YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER SINGAPORE 2023 – CLOSED

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUNG MIXOLOGIST SINGAPORE – CLOSED

MEET THE 2022 SINGAPORE WINNERS

HOW DO YOU COMPETE IN SINGAPORE

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. The judging panel consists of Singapore's most awarded and elite culinary professionals. They will evaluate and encourage you to achieve your best.

The shortlisted chef and waiter applicants will be paired together and given the opportunity to compete within an encouraging environment. The chef contestants will create a 3 course meal for four VIP guests and a chef judge. The waiters will showcase their service skills and understanding of the food created by their chef in front of a panel of waiter judges. Each contestant will have the opportunity to receive mentoring.

Paul Foster

AMBASSADOR

Paul Foster is a local Singaporean of mixed British/Chinese heritage and is an entertainment industry veteran of 20yrs as a host, actor and model.

Representing himself around the South East Asian region, Paul has covered acting for film and TV, ventured into travel, sports and info-tainment hosting and has emceed live events for product/store launches, Gala Dinners, press conferences and other various media events.

Aside from his career on stage and screen, he is passionate about sustainability for both the planet and people. Finding this balance in both life and career is so important, and Paul hopes his efforts in doing so can create more awareness and inspire others to do the same.

Judges - Singapore

Chef Judges

JUDGES - SINGAPORE

KIRK WESTAWAY

EXECUTIVE CHEF JAAN BY KIRK WESTAWAY

Multi-award winning and internationally renowned chef, Kirk Westaway is one of the most dynamic, creative and celebrated maestros on the Michelin star dining scene. Drawing from both his English heritage and a strong culinary training under world-renowned chefs, Kirk is recognised for his mastery in reinventing gastronomic classics that are easily received as comforting and refined. read more Born in South West Britain, Chef Kirk has redefined JAAN by channelling his deeply rooted passion for natural flavours that are reminiscent of his childhood in England. His perpetually evolving menu embodies a seasonal philosophy to showcase British dining in a modern, refreshing light.

From conceptualising his culinary direction and selecting the world’s best gourmet suppliers, to personalising bespoke tableware and curating specially designed furniture, subtle shifts in JAAN’s dining experience over the years have seen Chef Kirk and his team move towards a stronger emphasis on ‘Reinventing British’ - culminating in the eponymous rebranding of JAAN to JAAN by Kirk Westaway in June 2019.

“Through my personal journey with food, from harvesting organic fruits and vegetables in my family’s backyard as a child to becoming Executive Chef at JAAN in 2015, I am now led by two culinary philosophies,” says Chef Kirk. “The first is to always uphold the integrity of the produce and translate the best of each ingredient onto the plate. The second is that food should be comforting and form emotional connections. It is my mission to present our guests with an unforgettable meal that evokes nostalgia through familiar yet elegant flavours of the finest seasonal produce the world has to offer.”

Prior to JAAN, Kirk had the privilege of working and honing his skills in some of the best kitchens in the world, under culinary masterminds such as Chef Alex Atala of D.O.M., Chef Raymond Patterson of Patterson’s London, as well as Chef Antonin Bonnet who formerly helmed the two MICHELIN-starred Greenhouse in London. Westaway credits his friend and mentor, Chef Julien Royer of Odette, who was previously Executive Chef at JAAN, for opening his culinary chapter here in Singapore where he has lived since 2011.

JAAN by Kirk Westaway will continue to enthral and educate diners on the myriads of intricate nuances that Modern British dining has to offer.

Tristin Farmer 2023

Executive Head Chef at Restaurant Zén

Born in Kirkcaldy on the east coast of Scotland, Tristin attended Glenrothes College whilst working at the historic Peat Inn as an apprentice. After finishing his schooling and working at the Peat Inn for 4 years, Tristin had the opportunity to work for Andrew Fairlie at the two Michelin star restaurant in Gleneagles Hotel. In 2007, his passion for fine food took him to London where he worked for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, starting as Chef De Partie. His talent, creativity and hard work were soon noticed and he was promoted to Sous Chef and stayed at the restaurant for three years. read more In 2010, he moved to Petrus as Senior Sous Chef, for the restaurant re-launch, helping them to win a Michelin star within a year. Later that year he joined the team of the prestigious three-Michelin star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, as Senior Sous Chef. In 2011 Tristin became the Head Chef at Maze by Gordon Ramsay where he led his team of chefs for three years and maintained the Michelin star.
 
After leaving Gordon Ramsay Holdings in 2014, Tristin joined Jason Atherton`s The Social Company, working at Pollen Street Social, City Social in London and the pre-opening of Aberdeen Street Social in Hong Kong. Following this stint, he took on the role of Chef Patron at Marina Social in Dubai, where he won multiple awards with the restaurant including Middle East Chef of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
 
In September 2018, Tristin joined Frantzén Group and opened restaurant Zén in Singapore as the Executive Chef. This is the only sister property of the 3 Michelin star restaurant, Frantzén in Stockholm. He has been working closely alongside Bjorn Frantzén to develop Zén’s concept. A blend of both Nordic and Japanese cuisine, Zén has won 2 Michelin stars within the 1st year of opening and the 3rd star in 2021. Tristin is the second Scottish chef after Gordon Ramsay to have acheived 3 Michelin Stars. More recently, Zén has ranked no. 21 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and also won the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2023 which is a reflection of reflecting its consistency and professionalism.

Louisa Lim 2023

Cheffe Patissiere

Since graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Pastry Chef, Louisa Lim has honed her craft at several Michelin-starred establishments in France and at home in Singapore. While living in France, she was motivated by the passion the French had for their professions and was inspired to follow her dreams of becoming a pastry chef. read more In 2019, she joined Chef Julien at the acclaimed Odette restaurant to imagine desserts to satiate both the Eastern and Western palate. She is constantly pushing the boundaries, challenging herself and leading her team to incorporate ‘hot kitchen’ techniques in pastry, meld contrasting flavours together in harmony and create desserts which balance the menu while drawing the Odette experience to a delightful and delicate close. In 2023, she was named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef.

Magdalene Tang 2022 - 2023

Chef-Owner Mag's Wine Kitchen

A homegrown culinary figure, Mag’s love for food and cooking originated through helping her grandma in the kitchen, where from a young age, she was guided in learning the complexities of traditional Peranakan cuisine. During her university years in the United States, she experimented freely with recipes. Enjoying the process of combining ingredients and creating flavours, she often cooked for friends. read more Initially following a more traditional career path in financial services, Mag spent the the 80’s as a Forex trader. During this time, she had the opportunity to experience and appreciate French fine dining and wines, the love for which eventually led her to pursuing a new life as a chef and wine advocate.

— —

WAITER JUDGES

JUDGES - SINGAPORE

Emmanuel Benardos 2022 - 2023

General Manager of Food & Beverage

A seasoned hospitality professional currently based in Singapore, with extensive experience in the general management of all aspects of hotels, food & beverage, leisure and entertainment operations achieving positive commercial outcomes. Under my leadership, restaurants have achieved multiple Michelin stars / Worlds 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best awards plus complete operational, financial and brand management. read more Developing a reputation for transforming business operations to achieve sustainable growth, driving a culture of exceptional service delivery matched only by innovative and relevant menu design has been a key driver in my career.

As a strong and approachable leader who thrives on making a difference, to both the talent and financial success of a business, I have proudly developed and led many high-performing teams, within culturally diverse environments mentoring many to leadership positions and take pride in training and internal career progression of all colleagues.

GIBRAN BAYDOUN 2022 - 2023

BYGB Hospitality Consulting Founder of That's Proper Restaurant Group

Gibran Baydoun is an established hospitality guru in the region who began his career with Hillstone Restaurant Group before major stints at Ralph Lauren and Momofuku where he worked as the Chief of Staff and Director of Restaurant Operations. read more Gibran created a splash in Singapore first at Adrift by David Myers at the iconic Marina Bay Sands before founding BYGB Hospitality Consulting where he was instrumental in the growth and soul of 1880, a private member's club.

Throughout his career, Gibran has been involved with major hotel operators, restaurant groups and independent operations and has been instrumental in many restaurant openings and significant revamps in the hospitality space, before taking the leap to found his own restaurant group: That’s Proper. Lucali BYGB launched in Singapore in the middle of a pandemic in July 2020 to tremendous success and lead to Corduroy Palace: Wine Hall and Dining Room and Proper Slice BYGB to open the following year.

An architecture, art, fashion and music enthusiast, his eye for design and obsession into ambiance has made him a unique force in intentional hospitality.

GERALD LU 2022 - 2023

President, Sommelier Association General Manager Praelum Wine Bistro

Having his professional journey entrenched in the food and beverage industry in Singapore for over a decade, Gerald Lu has been at the forefront of the Singapore’s beverage scene for the past 15 years. read more A graduate from Business Hospitality in the University of Wales, Gerald kicked off his career with the IndoChine Group, gaining a diverse portfolio and technical skills from bartending to wine pairing as the Group’s sommelier before rising to management level to handle purchasing, marketing training, operations and management of wine-related activities.
Since 2021, Gerald helmed the Liquidity Group’s Praelum Wine Bistro Director and Head Sommelier. Fueled by his personal passion for wine and equipped with his niche expertise, he is pursuing the Court of Master Sommeliers (UK) Advanced Sommelier certification, Certified Specialist of Wine (US) as a High Scorer and was awarded Distinction by Wine, Spirits and Education Trust in the United States at the advanced level. Gerald is also a Certified Sake Sommelier with the Japanese Sake Sommelier Association and an Italian Wine Scholar (IWS).

Shilpee Mishra 2023

Stands as a seasoned luminary not only in F&B, but also in hospitality and events, showcasing a remarkable history of spearheading premier establishments within the industry. read more With a vibrant and commanding presence, she has masterfully revitalized esteemed brands such as The Dandy Collective's California Republic and Neon Pigeon, infusing new life into their legacies. She first began to distinguish herself when she became the youngest and most prominent Restaurant Manager at Spago by Wolfgang Puck. Her breadth of experience has further refined Shilpee's expertise, solidifying her proficiency in adeptly overseeing both front-of-house and back-of-house teams. Her prowess extends to curating impactful events and orchestrating compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with the right demographics.

— —

FRIENDS OF YCYW

FRIENDS OF YCYW

ANGELA MAY 2022

Culinary Director, Deliciae Hospitality Management Founding Partner of Foodfluence

Chef Angela May brings joy and passion to the art of healthy eating and living. Her lust for life shows through her love of sharing recipes with the world through television shows and live presentations for her health-conscious clients. She is not only an accomplished chef and culinary designer, but also an accredited sport performance nutritionist and acclaimed TV presenter and host of food and lifestyle shows. She has been the English voice of the world’s most prestigious Culinary event, Bocuse d’Or, as well as the World Pastry Cup, for twelve years running. read more Angela also has a Le Diplôme de Cuisine from famed French Culinary Academy ‘Le Cordon Bleu’.
Chef Angela opened her first vegetable forwardrestaurant ‘Angela May Food Chapters’ in the heart of Orchard Road in 2015 to share her love and passion of healthy living and clean eating with the world. In order to reach a wider audience she launched Déliciae Catering Co., the bespoke catering arm of DHM to meet the growing needs in Singapore to have elegantly curated menus and parties for elite clients.

In early 2020, Chef Angela founded Foodfluence, a technology-based F&B company that will work towards securing the future of food during challenging times, as we race towards finding healthy sustainable options for our ever-changing climate and growing population needs in a food-scarce world.

Quick Greens is the latest brand that Chef Angela lending her expertise to - another project that is future-forward, as a full plant-based concept with an environmentally-friendly health-focused menu.
Chef Angela, being born of American-Thai heritage, creates many of her dishes using locally-farmed herbs and vegetables; ensuring that her dishes are always fresh and celebrate natural ingredients. Chef Angela has travelled around the world filming culinary shows, broadening her knowledge from other chefs who gave her great insight into other cultures and cuisines. She brings this lust for cooking and ingredients back with her into her kitchen in Singapore.

Ryan Clift 2022

Chef-Owner Tippling Club

Tippling Club’s Chef-Owner Ryan Clift first began his culinary journey at just 14 years old, leaving school and starting from the ground up. Initially washing dishes at a local restaurant in Wiltshire where he grew up, it was only three months later when he was inducted to the kitchen and got his first taste of what the rest of his life would encompass. read more Throughout the first half of his career, Clift worked with the crème de le crème of professional chefs, starting out in London working under Chef Emmanuel Renaut at Claridge’s before working in France under Chef Marco Pierre White. When Renaut called with an opportunity to work in his hometown of Megéve in the French
Alps, Clift joined him for two years before heading down to Australia where he grew to Sous Chef and worked under Chef Raymond Capote and Chef Gary Mehigan. He later landed the Head Chef role at Shannon Bennett’s Vue De Monde, one of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants, recognised with three hats by The Age Good Food Guide.
Clift had a concept for his own restaurant down on paper before he made the move to Singapore. Soon after he met with Cynthia Chua, local entrepreneur and CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, and Tippling Club was born. Ever since its doors opened in 2008, the progressive modern gastronomy restaurant has been nothing short of consistent innovation and creativity. Tippling Club’s recognition grew significantly when it made Asia’s Top 20 Restaurant s in The Miele Guide and it did not end there. The restaurant has been constantly sweeping multiple awards, most notably, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, World’s Best Bars, World Gourmet Summit and more.
What Clift has created is one-of-a-kind: fine dining without the snobbery, where the atmosphere is casual and light-hearted but what is on the plate is very
serious. Each dish is carefully curated and has been through several rounds of tastings before reaching perfection for service.
Clift is heavily involved in the entire process, from research and development to creative and finally execution.
Clift is wholeheartedly dedicated to Tippling Club, with hardly any days off as each day is strategically planned out between being in the kitchen, working on upcoming recipes, perfecting new dishes and techniques. Clift has had an illustrious career thus far and yet refuses to settle for less, always constantly pushing himself to aim higher than higher through his dedication and creativity.

Matthew Helm 2022

Executive Director of Culinary Marina Bay Sands

Matthew Helm brings over 30 years of Integrated Resort (IR) and Hotel Food & Beverage experience to his role as Executive Director of Culinary. He leads a 600-strong culinary team at Marina Bay Sands, overseeing the property’s food supply chain and menus, and making sure its 40 individual kitchens run seamlessly round-the-clock. read more Mr Helm is also responsible for the IR’s extensive dining requirements, including the hotel’s 24/7 In-Room Dining operations serving over 2,200 rooms and club lounges, Marina Bay Sands-operated restaurants as well as banqueting for the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Internally, he supervises the operations of
two Team Member Dining rooms, which prepare close to 15,000 staff meals daily.

Prior to joining Marina Bay Sands, Mr Helm was Executive Manager of Food & Beverage and Culinary Operations at the Galaxy Entertainment Group in Macau, from 2015 to 2020, and more recently a pre-opening member of NUSTAR Resort & Casino in Cebu, the Philippines, until early 2022.

Born and raised in Canberra, Australia, Mr Helm pursued a professional culinary education in 1991 as he embarked on his career as an apprentice chef at the Park Hyatt, Canberra. He went on to rise the culinary ranks across IRs and distinguished hotel restaurants around the world, including luxury five-star resort The
Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Egypt, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, and Wynn Resorts in Macau, where he spearheaded its culinary academy and led the team to win several Michelin stars and Forbes Travel Guide awards.

Mr Helm currently serves as President of the Macau Culinary Association – a role he has held since 2019 to promote culinary education and cultural exchanges amongst the F&B community. He also shares his wealth of knowledge as culinary advisor to the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Macau, where he has been active
since 2015 to advocate values of excellence in hospitality and fine dining.

Jean Philippe Joye 2022

Retail & Bistro Operations Manager Culina at COMO Dempsey

A veteran of hospitality and restaurant management, Jean Philippe boasts an encyclopaedic knowledge of fine foods and wines. read more Educated in Lille in the North of France where he specialised in retail and distribution, and import and export administration, Jean Philippe has chalked up an impressive portfolio in his 35-year career with stints at Club Med, Raffles Hotel in Singapore and Park Hyatt Tokyo. Currently, the Operations Manager of Culina Singapore, this connoisseur with a profound interest in wines, liquors and new F&B trends is always ready to share his knowledge with customers who are keen for his recommendations.

— —

Our Partners and Supporters 2022 Singapore

Our Global Partners and Supporters

Contact