111 CHEF WHITES: OUR BIGGEST GRADUATION YET
Last night, 111 chefs graduated from our Chef Academy at Church House in Westminster, London, our biggest cohort yet! With 400 guests in the room, it was an epic celebration of our culinary heroes, their hard work and the future of food.
Bellboy mime artists greeted the crowd, kicking off a night packed with flavour, creativity and pure cheer, before Head of Craft Rik Razza introduced some of our chef partners who served up a global flavour takeover through a delicious line-up of canapés.
Chef Partners Rinku Dutt brought punchy Puchkas filled with spiced potato and tamarind water, while Thuy Diem Pham served lemongrass prawn skewers loaded with crispy onions and chilli lemongrass saté. West African chef Opy Odutayo dialled up the boldness with Grains of Paradise beef tartare, smoked melon seed cream and fermented scotch bonnet honey, before Malaysian chef Ranie Saidi served chicken sambal, pineapple ketchup and lime caviar in a beetroot-glazed tart.
As the food flowed, Indian dancers filled the stage with Bengali and Bhangra rhythms, West African drummers ‘One drum’ took over the floor while our beverage team kept glasses full of peach sparkling iced tea, elevated coffee Boulevardiers and miso caramel banana Dominicana cocktails.
And then came the moment – the Chef Academy walkout. One by one, graduates stepped onto the stage in their chef whites to huge cheers from friends, family and colleagues. Big energy matched big results with an 81% distinction rate for Level 2 and 3 (above the national average), and an impressive 85% across Levels 4 and 5!
Speaking on the night, Director of Food & Beverage Greg Bramwell said: “We are a very special business that gives freedom to the floor to do what’s right in hospitality. We are a food and beverage business, but more importantly we are a people business.”
Beverage had its moment too, as Head of Beverage Jana Slamova and Beverage Partner Dan Fellows welcomed our Beverage Influencers on stage – a crew just seven months in and already rewriting how beverage shows up across the business. 2023 Beverage Battle winner Isaac Raz shared his vision of where food and beverage is headed: “Food and beverage work best when chefs and beverage teams are closer than ever – building bold experiences, using unique kitchen ingredients and keeping sustainability part of the craft.”
Former elite athlete turned mindset and performance coach Joanna Taylor delivered a powerful talk about her personal journey breaking down resilience, pressure and what it really takes to push past limits.
The Special Awards celebrated serious skill across the Academy, including the Best in Class award, presented to our powerhouse female chefs:
- Gentiana Nika
- Caitlin Clarke
- Ella Joczyn
- Georgia Cunliffe
- Charlie Becke
One of the Outstanding Progress awards went to Neil Turner, who achieved a record‑setting 99% on his final assessment dish – the highest mark the Academy has awarded to date. The Spirit of the Academy award was presented to Lewis Mendies, for his commitment, attitude and leadership throughout the programme.
The ceremony closed with a surprise tribute marking Rik Razza’s thirty‑year anniversary with us – a reminder that behind every programme, every kitchen and every graduate, there is a community of people who build the path.
Of course, no Chef Academy event would be complete without turning things up a notch. Guests spilled into the Willy Wonka‑style Flavour Factory, where chefs Chris Terry and Sam Fisk joined forces with Lick Me I’m Delicious, delivering edible surprise after edible surprise. From apple pie balloons and watermelon sorbet nitro ice cream to piña colada bubbles, selfie‑pop chocolate lollipops and build‑your‑own exotic cheesecakes, it was the gift that kept on giving. Every corner brought a new surprise, flavour and curiosity.
Get a taste of the night here, with the full YouTube edit landing soon.
