The Roux Scholarship announces its 18 regional finalists for the 2025 competition
The Roux Family are delighted to reveal the names of the 18 chefs who will take part in the regional finals for The Roux Scholarship 2025. This year, 14 of the 18 finalists are new to the competition and they hail from establishments as far afield as Scotland and Devon.
The 18 chefs, and two reserves, were selected from their written recipes that had to use two gurnard fish, mussels, dulse seaweed and parsnips. They were submitted anonymously to the judges, who took part in the Recipe Judging day at The Waterside Inn on 19th February 2025. The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday 6th March 2025 at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.
Competing in the Birmingham Regional Final are…
Fraser Cameron The Globe Inn, Dumfries & Galloway
Charlie d’Lima Crocadon Farm, Cornwall
Alan Hughes Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
Harrison Miller Blundells School, Devon
Oliver Robinson Coworth Park, Berkshire
Tommy Thorn Puro, Bristol
Judging in Birmingham: Michel Roux Jr, Sat Bains (1999 scholar), Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar), Rachel Humphrey.
From left to right: Fraser Cameron, Charlie d’Lima, Alan Hughes, Harrison Miller, Oliver Robinson, Tommy Thorn
Competing in the London Regional Final are…
Katherine Altham Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London
Liam Anderson Midsummer House, Cambridge
Swann Auffray The Little Chartroom, Edinburgh
Craig Johnstone Angler Restaurant, London
Lachlan Maddigan Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Liam Pride Fancetts, Cambridge
Darryl Shotlander The Dysart Petersham, Surrey
Monty Stonehewer Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
Nikoletta Theofylakidou Restaurant Associates, London
Marnix Taghon Hide, London
Rebecca Tough Vacherin, London
Erin Yates Bar Valette, London
Judging in London: Alain Roux, Brian Turner CBE, Emily Roux, André Garrett MCA (2002 scholar), Adam Smith MCA (2012 scholar), Angela Hartnett OBE.
There are two chefs in reserve (should any finalists not be able to compete):
Kian Puerto-Terron The Painswick Hotel, Gloucestershire
George Wintle Rochelle Canteen, London
Recipe Challenge
For the recipe application, Roux Scholarship 2025 applicants were invited to create a recipe for four people using two whole dayboat Cornish red gurnards each weighing 700g – 900g (maximum 1kg); 600g live St. Austell deep sea mussels; fresh (or dried) red dulse seaweed, together with two simple or composed garnishes/accompaniments, one including parsnip. A sauce had to accompany the dish. The regional finalists will have 2.5hrs to cook their dish, along with a dessert devised and prepared from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day. The judges will be looking for recipes and methods, which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dishes.
For the recipe application, Roux Scholarship 2025 applicants were invited to create a recipe for four people using two whole dayboat Cornish red gurnards each weighing 700g – 900g (maximum 1kg); 600g live St. Austell deep sea mussels; fresh (or dried) red dulse seaweed, together with two simple or composed garnishes/accompaniments, one including parsnip. A sauce had to accompany the dish. The regional finalists will have 2.5hrs to cook their dish, along with a dessert devised and prepared from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day. The judges will be looking for recipes and methods, which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dishes.
Chairman Michel Roux Jr: “It is great to see so many different establishments represented across the country and to see chefs who have been supported to enter the competition by past winners, our Roux Scholars, and past finalists. There were some very inspiring recipes using affordable ingredients and lots of skilful, innovative techniques as well.”
Chairman Alain Roux: “It has been good to see how the different chefs used the key ingredients to come up with a wide range of dishes, with interesting flavours, drawing on influences from around the world. I can’t wait to see them cooking the dishes in the regional finals and indeed that is the skill we look for in the recipe application – chefs must write a recipe that we really want to taste.”
Emily Roux: “The regional finalists came up with a very eclectic mix of recipes; All sorts of different ingredients were used, spices, lots of Japanese flavours as well, which I thought was interesting. Gurnard is a fish that I love, we currently have it on the menu, so I was happy to see it in all its glory in different forms.”
Adam Smith MCA: “It’s great to see the process of recipe judging from the other side now I’m a judge. It’s been great to see the diversity of different cuisines and see those influences on what people are cooking and the different interpretations of the four different ingredients that had to be included.”
Simon Hulstone: “I think it’s really a real good mix from up and down the country, to be fair. There is a really good range of establishments: there are a couple of contract caterers in there, some really big- name restaurants, so it is really good to see that they’re supporting The Roux Scholarship. For me, it’s nice to see that there are new names coming through and new people are having a crack at entering.”
National final – Monday 14th April 2025
Six winners selected from across the two regional finals will go through to the national final, which takes place at the Alain Roux Culinary School at The Waterside Inn, Bray. The judges for the final cook-off will be: Honorary President of Judges Elena Arzak, Alain Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Brian Turner CBE, André Garrett MCA, Sat Bains, Simon Hulstone, James Martin, Emily Roux and Angela Hartnett OBE.
We extend our sincere wishes for success to all participants in the competition. With a remarkably skilled group of emerging chefs, we eagerly anticipate the forthcoming stages of the event!