The Gold Service Scholarship, the UK’s premier award for aspiring young professionals in the hospitality industry, has announced the list of candidates who have successfully reached the Semi-Final stage of the 2023 competition.
With an impressive number of initial entries, and following two Quarter Final assessment days held at the Langham Hotel and at Hotel Café Royal, 41 candidates will now take part in the Semi-Final, which will be held on 14th November 2022 at Rosewood London. The Final of the competition will then take place on 16th January 2023 at Corinthia London, and the Awards Reception to announce the new Scholar 2023 at Claridge’s on 15th February 2023.
The variety of entrants has been particularly impressive this year, with candidates from many of the UK’s most prestigious establishments, representing a distinguished range of five-star hotels, restaurants and The Royal Household.
Chair of the Judges, Edward Griffiths said: “We have been delighted to see a high level of entries, despite continued challenges in the industry, and the quality of entrants has again surpassed our expectations. As a result, we are seeing a record number of talented young professionals reach the Semi-Final stage. The spread of entries from across the country is also heart-warming, and we now have the difficult task of selecting eight very worthy winning Finalists in January.”
The list of Semi-Finalists is as follows:
| Luca Aloisi | Head Waiter | Il Borro |
| Zilbehar Asani | Restaurant Supervisor | The Lanesborough |
| Charlotte Bailey | Fine Dining Head Waiter | Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons |
| Arline Bronkhorst | Floor Manager | Bibi Restaurant |
| Diana Caruntu | Restaurant Manager | Hotel Café Royal |
| Luca Cavazzoni | Restaurant Supervisor | The Rosebery, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park |
| Roberto Chaves | Assistant Bar Manager | Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park |
| Scott Crowe | Chef de Rang | Number One, Balmoral Hotel |
| Giulia d’Angelo | Assistant Manager | Trivet Restaurant |
| Florian David | Head Waiter | The Waterside Inn |
| Laëtitia Decure | Restaurant Supervisor | The Dorchester |
| Fanny Descouts | Assistant Manager | Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay |
| Romy Diplexcito | Head Waiter | Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles |
| Bradley Earland | Assistant Restaurant Manager | Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa |
| Davide Esposito | Assistant Restaurant Manager | The Ned |
| Valentino Galdi | Chef de Rang | Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons |
| Vivien Gyulai | Assistant Restaurant Manager | The Woodspeen Restaurant |
| Tom Hanlon | Restaurant Manager | Northcote |
| Etienne Harding | Assistant Restaurant Manager | The Goring Hotel |
| Rachel Harvey | Management Trainee | Rosewood Hotel London |
| Jupiter Humphrey-Bishop | Footman | The Royal Household, Buckingham Palace |
| Lucas Kelly | Food & Beverage Supervisor | South Lodge Hotel & Spa |
| Ryan Kenyon | Restaurant Manager | Coast Saundersfoot |
| Max Lawrence | Junior Assistant Restaurant Manager | L’Enclume |
| Daniela Mayer | Assistant Restaurant Manager | Strathearn Restaurant, Gleneagles |
| Emilie Monte | Lounge Supervisor | Corinthia London |
| Mario Paglia | Food & Beverage Manager | Baglioni Hotels & Resorts |
| Andrea Perissinotto | Restaurant Supervisor | Galvin at Windows |
| Daniel Price | Assistant Restaurant Manager | The Lanesborough Grill, The Lanesborough |
| Alana Quigley | Assistant Restaurant Manager | Gleneagles |
| Alex Ranzetta | Assistant Restaurant Manager | Royal Exchange Bar & Restaurant, Fortnum & Mason |
| Kevin Ricou | Head Waiter | The Ritz London |
| Beth Sampson | Junior Assistant Restaurant Manager | L’Enclume |
| Paolo Scialpi | Bar Supervisor | Connaught Bar, The Connaught |
| Ashton Smith | Management Trainee | Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park |
| Mélina Soulavie | Sommelier | Hélène Darroze at The Connaught |
| Alice Taraschi | Bar’s Deputy Manager | Claridge’s |
| Lupo Thoenes | Head Sommelier | Hélène Darroze at The Connaught |
| Robin Tola | Head Waiter | Hélène Darroze at The Connaught |
| Lynn van Logtestijn | Head Waiter | Core by Clare Smyth |
| Jade Walker | Head Waiter | The Ritz London |
Launched in 2012, The Gold Service Scholarship exists to inspire, educate and nurture the UK’s finest young front-of-house talent. Led by a group of the industry’s most senior figures, the annual competition is open to individuals aged 22-28 who work full-time in front of house food and beverage service in the UK hospitality industry – and who wish to hone their craft and further their careers under the mentorship and guidance of the Trustees, Judges and Ambassadors of the Gold Service Scholarship.
