The restaurant was opened by TV chef Rick Stein and then wife Jill in 1975.
At Claridge’s Hotel last night (February 28th) Beresforde came out ahead of seven other national finalists and will now get the benefit of a prize package that includes a visit to Champagne Laurent Perrier in France, coaching in social media, report writing and photography plus a choice of work placements at places such as Buckingham Palace, The Watreside Inn, Bray and the Mondriaan Hotel School in the Netherlands.
For the first time the judges also made a special award to finalist Ashley Best, who works at The Ritz in London, as the finalist with ‘the most potential’.
The other finalists were Alexandra-Iulia Caciuc of 45 Jermyn Street, London, Manuel Marchetti, The Waterside Inn, Tom Noller of Merchants Tavern, London,. Luis Oliveira Santos of Rosewood, London, Alexandra Spatar of The Woodspeen Restaurant and Cookery School, Berkshire and Nina Thomsen of L’Enclume, Cumbria.