The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has announced the five finalists for the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, with the winner set to be revealed at Gleneagles on 29 November. The final decision will follow a skills and judging session held at Perth College UHI.
The finalists are Allan MacDonald, Breakfast CDP at The Balmoral; Andrew Clark, Head Chef at Entier; Marcin Borek, Chef de Partie at Fingal; Michael Sutherland, Senior Chef de Partie at Gleneagles and Patryk Kasperek, Chef de Partie at Fingal.
For the fifth Andrew Fairlie Scholarship final, the shortlisted chefs have been tasked with creating an autumnal sharing dish for four, featuring a short saddle of Scotch lamb, with a spinach garnish, creamed polenta, and a sauce.
An all-star panel of chefs will judge the 2024 competition. Stephen McLaughlin, Head Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, will be joined by fellow 2-Michelin-starred Chef Patrons Tom Kerridge of The Hand and Flowers and Sat Bains. Gary Maclean, Winner of MasterChef: The Professionals and National Chef of Scotland, will also judge the finalists on their performance.
The winner will enjoy a two-day educational trip to France with Grande Cuisine and gain hands-on experience at the 2-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles. In addition, the scholar will undertake a stage at the 3-Michelin-starred Core by Clare Smyth in London and receive a bespoke chef’s jacket.
The scholarship, which provides a unique educational opportunity for chefs seeking first-hand experience in some of the world’s most prestigious culinary establishments, is a partnership between HIT Scotland (an industry charity closely associated with Andrew), Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Perth College UHI, and The Gleneagles Hotel.
David Cochrane, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, said, “The remarkable legacy of Andrew Fairlie continues with the fifth annual Scholarship. This is a truly remarkable opportunity for up-and-coming Scottish culinary talent and a gateway to unrivalled industry opportunities that will strengthen their personal and professional development.
“We were delighted by the quantity of applications this year from all around Scotland, which made it very difficult to choose the final five. The finalists should be prepared to pull out all the stops to impress our judges and be in for a chance of claiming the prizes. Wishing them all the best of luck for the 27 of November!”
Stephen McLaughlin, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Head Chef and lead judge, said, “The finalists have shown that they truly understand the brief and have put a lot of thought and care into their applications, providing clean, simple and concise recipes. Every single one sounds delicious and a potential winner, and we can’t wait to taste them. I could feel their passion and see their craft shining through, so I can tell it will be really difficult for the judges to separate them, hopefully everyone cooks to their full potential on Finals day!”.