Regional finalists announced for Young Chef Young Waiter competition

Regional chef finalists - North The competition will take place at Darlington College, on Wednesday, 8 September with the four most successful candidates going forward to compete in the national finals, to be held at Westminster Kingsway College on October 20. Greg Anderson (Norton House Hotel, Edinburgh) James Campbell (Cardrona Hotel, Peebles) Adam Dransfield (Nutters Restaurant, Norden, Rochdale) Santhoshraja Durairaj (The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews) Robert Herron (Kilworth House Hotel, Leics) Amy Heward (Winteringham Fields, North Lincs) Lahiru Jayasekara (Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxon) Christopher Kenny (Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxon) Ryan Murphy (Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire) Karl O'Dell (Colette's, Chandlers Cross, Hants) Tom Parker (Northcote, Langho) Martyn To (The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews) Regional chef finalists – South The competition will take place at Thames Valley University, Ealing, on 15 September with the four most successful candidates going forward to compete in the national finals, to be held at Westminster Kingsway College on October 20. Tony Bee (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London) Sean Beckerleg (Saunton Sands Hotel, Devon) Daniel Birn (Lucknam Park, Wiltshire) Micheal Dipple (Cannizaro House, London) Tommy Fairhall (Galvin at Windows, London) Luke Fouracre (House of Commons) Niall Keating (Bath Priory) Stefan Pini (Hurlingham Club, London) Mark Stinchcombe (Lucknam Park, Wiltshire) Robert Stacey (Galvin at Windows, London) Michael Tweedie (Lucknam Park, Wiltshire) Matthew Worswick (Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead) Regional waiter finalists – North The competition will take place at von Essen's Seaham Hall, Co Durham, on Thursday, 9 September, with the four most successful candidates going forward to compete in the national finals, to be held at Westminster Kingsway College on 20 October. Eleanor Bristow (Northcote, Langho) Ben Dantzic (Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneages) Eleanor Hails (Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris) Matthew Kinnes (Moor Hall Hotel, Sutton Coldfield) Jenny Mackiewicz (Balmoral Bar, Edinburgh) Christie McVeigh (Beales Hotel, Hatfield) Chloe Murray (The Samling, Windermere) Roy Ng (Café 21, Newcastle–upon-Tyne) Max Smith (Northcote, Langho) Bronagh Smith (Deanes Restaurant, Belfast) Jessica Warden (The General Tarleton, Ferrensby, Yorks) Adam Willis (Box Tree, Ilkley) Regional waiter finalists – South The competition will take place at von Essen's Hotel Verta, London, on Thursday, 16 September, with the four most successful candidates going forward to compete in the national finals, to be held at Westminster Kingsway College on 20 October. Thomas Aragones (The Fat Duck, Bray) Willi Bethmann (The Ritz, London) Andrew Cleary (The Ritz, London) Emma Colwill (The Hinds Head, Bray) Julien Gardin (The Fat Duck, Bray) Jennifer Georgeson (The Grill at The Dorchester, London) Antoine Georget (Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxon) Burak Sen (The Ritz, London) Katie Thompson (The Goring Hotel, London) Alberto Tommasi (Waterside Inn, Bray) Tom Turner (Gidleigh Park, Devon) Sam Ward (The Ritz, London) Bruce Poole (Chez Bruce, London) will again chair the panel of top-line chef judges which includes such as Angela Hartnett (Murano Restaurant), Phil Howard (The Square) and Brett Graham (the Ledbury). Stephen Mannock, from the National Skills Academy for Hospitality chairs the panel of waiter judges which includes Simon King (Front of house operations manager, The Fat Duck), Simon Girling (The Ritz) and Jeremy Rata (Bovey Castle, Devon). Headline sponsor for the second year running is von Essen hotels, with the Savoy Educational Trust and American Express as founding sponsors. New sponsors are Nestlé Professional, the National Skills Academy for Hospitality and Villeroy & Boch.