Nestlé Professional is delighted to announce this year’s Toque d’Or® Competition finalists.
38 competitors took part in the National Heats stage of the competition putting into practice everything they had learned so far on balanced diets. This has now been narrowed down to just 9 finalists.
6 Back of House and 3 Front of House competitors will be heading into the Grand Finals which will take place during the last week of April. The 9 finalists are:
Back of House Apprentices:
James Shuttleworth – The Tower Hotel
Connor Anderson – The White Hart
Matthew Mansell – Sheffield college
Back of House Students:
Samantha Watkins – Loughborough College
Krisztina Nagy – City of Glasgow College
Michael Doogan – Edinburgh College
Front of House Students:
Antony Avellan – The City of Liverpool College
Tara Humphrey – City of Glasgow College
Joshua McCafferty – Hugh Baird College
The Grand Finals week includes exciting challenges and opportunities around the Sustainable Futures theme allowing competitors to develop a variety of skills as well as being put through their paces.
Katya Simmons, managing director of Nestlé Professional UK&I, says: “We were delighted this year to have a live Heat stage of the competition and again the standard was incredible. The talent the competitors displayed was overwhelming and everyone who has taken part should be very proud. They are all a credit to the hospitality industry.
“Good luck to our nine finalists, they are all in for a very exciting Final’s week.”
The Grand Finals will take place from 25th-29th April, with the winners announced during the Awards lunch on Friday 29th July. The competition will be judged by MasterChef: The Professionals, The Festive Knockout winner Louisa Ellis, educator and well-respected sommelier and wine expert, Raul Diaz, as well as guest judges who are yet to be announced.
This year winners will be taken to attend the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2022 in Abu Dhabi as well as a gastronomic weekend in Dubai. The Savoy Education Trust will also be providing £1,000 for each of the colleges taking part in the Grand Finals and £2,500 for the winning colleges to be used to purchase equipment from Russums.
