They were short-listed from a record number of entries for the competition organised by Tabasco, owned by US based McIlhenny Company, and held in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs, and they will now have to cook, prepare and present their dishes using a variety of Tabasco sauces before a team of expert chef judges at the University of West London on November 4.
The finalists are:
Ricky Matonti, University of West London
Lauren Game, South Downs College
Tajinder Singh Sehdev, University of West London
Jonathan Mervish, Royal Garden Hotel
Theo Dalton Maag, Westminster Kingsway College
Evan Wakelin, South Thames College Merton Campus
Corey Burke, South Thames College Merton Campus
Marzena Nowakowska, Westminster Kingsway College
Lucy Baker, Hit Training
Lorraine Fernandes, Highbury College
Jade Murphy, Royal Garden Hotel
Andrew Collis, University of Derby, Buxton Campus
Mary Edmonds, Sheffield City College
Melissa Penny, Sheffield Hallam University
Gordon Robottom, Bournville College
Lucy Alice Bracey, City College Norwich
Alice Oakley, City College Norwich
Kacey Marsh, Gloucestershire College
Shane Davies, Gower College Swansea
Lewis Tunnicliffe, Sodexo, Bickleigh Barracks
Malcolm Lomax, University of Derby
Matthew Price, University College Birmingham
The top prize for the winning chef is a trip to the home of Tabasco – Avery Island in Lafayette, Louisiana – to experience the region’s cuisine and culture, accompanied by their chef lecturer.