YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER LAUNCHES 26TH COMPETITION

Organised by the British Hospitality Association and The Restaurant Association, the competition attracts several hundred entries every year and lists top chefs as former winners. In 2009, it welcomed von Essen hotels as the competition's new headline sponsor, which continues this year. Von Essen hotels will again provide a real-life service experience to the regional waiters' finals in Seaham Hall, Co Durham and at the newly-opened Hotel Verta in Battersea, London. New sponsors this year are Nestlé Professional, the National Skills Academy for Hospitality and Villeroy & Boch. "As a member of the BHA, we are delighted to continue supporting this very important competition, which encourages young talent throughout the hospitality industry and throughout the country," says Nick Romano, von Essen hotels' chief executive officer. "We are particularly delighted that the southern regional waiters' finals can be held in our brand new hotel in London. Providing the waiters with real-life service challenges has raised the standard of the regional competitions hugely and we're very pleased von Essen has enabled this to take place." Bob Cotton, chief executive, BHA, said that the competition attracts young people from well known, as well as lesser known establishments. "This year we want to increase this number and encourage many more entries from all sectors of the industry - hotels, restaurants and contract catering and leisure catering." Bruce Poole (Chez Bruce, London) will again chair the panel of top-line chef judges which has included such celebrities as Angela Hartnett (Murano Restaurant, London), Phil Howard (The Square) and Chris Galvin (Galvins). 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). Bob Walton, President of The Restaurant Association, said that the sponsorship of von Essen hotels and the continuing long-standing support of the founder sponsors, the Savoy Educational Trust and American Express, as well other key supporters, highlighted the importance of the competition in the industry: "With three new sponsors, the competition is going from strength to strength, and we aim to make 2010 the best year yet," he said. More information and entry downloads can be accessed on www.bha.org.uk/ycyw