AFW announces Restaurant Manager of the Year finalists

The Academy of Food & Wine has announced the six finalists for its inaugural UK Restaurant Manager of the Year competition.

The six finalists are: Peter Avis of Babylon at Roof Gardens in London; Mark Bevan of Chester Grosvenor in Cheshire; Christopher Noone from the Liverpool Community College; Michael Stokes of Wiltons in London; Alison Stubberfield from Theo Randall at the InterContinental London Park Lane; and Giuseppe Vurchio from the Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford.

The six contestants were put through to the final by a panel of judges including the Academy's director Matt Wilkin; former Le Gavroche maitre d' Silvano Giraldin; and chair of judges Conor O'Leary, food and beverage manager of the Andaz hotel in London.

For the next stage of the competition the finalists will submit and present a restaurant concept, business plan and profit and loss account to the panel of judges. They will also complete a short wine tasting and food matching exercise.

Roberts-Brown, executive director of the Academy of Food and Wine, said: "We are looking for financial acumen, management skill, market knowledge and product knowledge as well as a thorough understanding of the hospitality industry and current trends."

The winner will be announced at a dinner held at the Langham hotel, London, on 15 June 2009. The winning restaurant manager will receive a week-long trip to New York to complete a stage at a top restaurant.

The Restaurant Manager of the Year competition is supported by the National Skills Academy for Hospitality and sponsored by OpenTable and Keystone Recruitment.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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