On 17 May, at The Wharf restaurant, local dignitaries, chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and supporters of the hospitality industry gathered together for an exciting announcement.
The Young Chef Young Waiter competition – which recognises excellence in both disciplines, but until last year was limited to just the UK – has officially gone global. Eight countries will now be seeking their own champions, who will subsequently fly to Monaco for the World Final on 16 Nov. Guest of honour at the event will be Prince Albert of Monaco.
The Cayman Islands joins England, Wales, Ireland, Macau, Singapore, Mumbai and the US as one of the registered participants, which means that eligible local chefs and waiters can sign up to compete for a chance at their spot in the World Final.
Front and centre at The Wharf event were World YCYW chairman Robert Walton, managing director Sean Valentine, and Michelin star chef and head chef judge of YCYW England Adam Handling.
Walton said that this competition, which started in 1979, “brings chefs and waiters together” in a relationship vital to the success of any restaurant. He added that he considered it to be the “Olympics of hospitality”, where chefs and waiters that had not previously worked side-by-side would be paired up with 24 hours’ notice before having to present their skills to the judges. Contestants would be expected to produce a national dish, with time to practise it in advance.
He announced that the executive chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Frederic Morineau would be Cayman’s lead judge of chef competitors, with head of operations and wine director of Grand Old House and The Wharf Luciano De Riso taking lead on the waiters’ side. The local judging panel is completed by chef Jake Brodski of Tillies, general manager Francesco Cappucci of Tillies and chef Takumi Murase of Yashinoki.
“Who knows? Could a young Caymanian be the world champion?” Walton suggested to the room of guests, who applauded the idea with gusto.
“We are so excited to bring the Young Chef Young Waiter concept to the Cayman Islands,” Walton said in an earlier press release. “This is more than a competition, this is an opportunity to introduce young Caymanians to new ways of working in hospitality with sustainability and community being key to the Young Chef Young Waiter brand.”
Many past winners of YCYW have gone on to achieve huge success in hospitality. Winners and judges have included some the industry’s most recognisable names, such as Mark Sargeant, Marcus Wareing, Simon King, John Torode, Annie and Germain Schwab, Jeremy King, Raymond Blanc, Heston Blumenthal, Earl of Bradford Richard Bridgeman, Lord Charles Forte, Angela Hartnett, Simon Girling and Fred Sirieix.
Beyond the accolades, there are prizes and opportunities to be won. Past champions have been given the use of a Mercedes for a year, and Walton mentioned a two-week placement at the Wynn hotel in Macau.
Valentine spoke about the importance of such competitions in order to impress upon young people the value of a career in the industry. He felt that some students viewed restaurant work as something one did out of school before launching into a ‘proper job’, yet thanks to endeavours like YCYW, the mindset was changing.
Deputy Premier Chris Saunders, Minister for Tourism and Transport Kenneth Bryan, and Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage Bernie Bush were all at the event to celebrate Cayman’s involvement in the first global version of the tournament.
Minister Bush spoke to the room about his enthusiasm for the event, thanking the sponsors, judges, and Chief Officer Eric Bush and his staff, who he said had been instrumental in bringing this idea to fruition.
“We feel this is very important,” said Bernie Bush, adding that “70% of our relatives were involved in tourism. This is our history, so I’m happy to see all the sponsors and all the restaurants coming together.”
Adam Handling
If anyone can prove the case for success in hospitality, it is wunderkind Chef Handling. Starting out at the age of 16 as an apprentice, he has gone from strength to strength, collecting multiple awards and opening restaurants to much acclaim. In fact, he received Restaurateur of the Year in the British GQ Food and Drink Awards 2020 and his restaurant, Frog, was awarded a Michelin star in the 2022 guide. He, too, is passionate about the YCYW competition, as he was, in fact, a finalist himself in 2011 with chef Marcus Wareing as one of the judges.
“YCYW is a phenomenal competition,” he said. “It opens doors for people… I cannot wait to shake the hands of the winning chef and waiter in Monaco in November.”
The YCYW launch event at The Wharf was not Handling’s first trip to the Cayman Islands. He was here for Cayman Cookout in 2015, and gave local young culinary star Desly Missick the opportunity to work with him for a week in London at his Adam Handling at Caxton restaurant, after Missick won a mystery basket cook-off competition. Handling spoke about how much he enjoyed visiting the island, saying, “Caymankindness is real. I’ve never felt so welcome in all my time.”
Eligibility requirements for YCYW
- Contestants must be Caymanian
- Ages 26 years and under only
- Currently employed as a chef or waiter in the hospitality industry
Cayman Islands YCYW
Entry is free for competitors and registration online is now open until 17 Aug. when a short-list will be selected. The winners of the Cayman competition, going on to the final in Monaco, will be announced after a two-day live local final in September. To register or learn more about YCYW, visit youngchefyoungwaiter.com.
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