BEN FORD WINS COMPASS CHEF TITLE

Still only 24, Ford won Silver in last year's junior category of the competition and says Compass UK Executive Chef Nick Vadis has been a major influence. He wins a trophy and a £1000 prize. Clark Crawley of Restauarnt Associates won the Compass Junior Chef of the Year title. He has only been with Compass since January and is still in college and alongside his trophy and medal won a cheque for £500. Crawley's commis chef at the competition, which was staged during the Restaurant Show at Earls Court, was Simon Webb, who picked up his own award at the show when he won the Norwegian Seafood Challenge against competition from senior chefs across the industry. Chartwells, Compass's independent schools business, saw its chefs awarded Silver in both the senior and junior Compass competitions - Ben Sulston (senior) and James Perrin (junior). The Bronze awards were secured by Stephen Humphries (senior) and Paul Matthews (junior), both representing Restaurant Associates, Compass's fine dining division. Nick Vadis, Compass UK Executive Chef, said: "It was great to see so many major players from across the foodservice industry at the show, which is a fantastic opportunity for Compass to showcase the undeniable culinary talent we have in our company. "We believe our approach to celebrating and nurturing culinary talent continues to lead the industry. I was particularly proud to see how many of our senior finalists' talent was first recognised at junior level, and how it has been successfully developed since." The Compass Chef of the Year competition is the culmination of a series of regional events, held across the country, with contestants from every sector in which Compass operates. The 16 finalists for both Junior and Senior categories come from a diverse range of fields including hospitality, workplace dining, fining dining, defence and events to compete for the title of Compass Chef of the year.