The 20 semi-finalists for the 2021 Young Chef Young Waiter UK competition, set to take place in Dubai next month, have been announced. 10 chefs and 10 waiters will compete at Aloft Dubai Creek on 15-16 November and the winners will be announced on the evening of 16 November at the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The finalists were presented with a video and survey, which were judged anonymously by the panel of judges, including head chef Adam Handling and head waiter Simon King. Jury members also included Theo Randall, Jason Atherton, Tom Kerridge, Claude Bosi, Emily Roux, Ruth Hansom, Ollie Dabbous, Brian Turner, Tom Aikens, Jeff and Chris Galvin, Jennifer Santner and John Williams.

“Young Chef Young Waiter is designed to nurture the next generation, and we hope this opportunity can support the careers of all our contributors through this experience,” said Robert Walton, president of Young Chef Young Waiter.

The semi-finalists for Best Young Chef of the Year are:

Luke Simmons, Above at Hide, London

Daniel Ibbotson, Etch by Steven Edwards, Hove

Fabrizio Cozza, Fiume, London

Liam Rogers, Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham

Emma Rooke, the Cow Shed, Fife

Kenny Markham, the Four Pears, Northampton

Liam Smith, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire

Miltan Masha, the Monarch Theatre, London

Ali Halbert, Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling, Cornwall

Connor Blades, Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling, Cornwall

Semi-finalists for Best Young Waiter of the Year are:

Aliya Raphael, Above at Hide, London

Ruhit Abdul, Hide, London

Max Daglish, Northcote, Langho, Lancashire

Julien Peigneux, Shangri-La at the Shard, London

Hellie Honney, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire

Martin McRae, Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire

George Smart, the Newt in Somerset

Sophie Heyer, the Promenade at the Dorchester, London

Giacomo Monti, the Ritz London

Lorenzo Riglioni, the Ritz London