Ten young chefs are one step closer to officially establishing themselves as ones to watch after making the coveted final of this year’s Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards.

The mix of working restaurant, hotel and college chefs received the news following this week’s semi-final heats at Sheffield College and University of West London, where 20 chefs took part in the ultimate skills test to boost their careers and win a place in the guild’s hall of fame.

Having proved they have the ingredients to take what they learnt in training to the next level, the talented 10 will now be invited to a mentor day, complete with masterclasses with industry greats and gastronomic treats in the capital, to prepare them for the final’s butchery and fishmongery tests, a mystery basket challenge and the creation of a classic main and dessert.

Those that make the grade by scoring 85% or over in the final exam on August 27 will receive their award at a cocktail presentation evening at the Lancaster London on September 4.

Awards co-ordinator Steve Munkley said: “The semi-finals have, once again, showed us the fantastically high calibre of some of the UK’s young working chefs today and getting through to this year’s final is such a huge achievement in itself.

“They now need to use the mentor day as an additional training ground and perfect their skills as much as they can to impress this year’s tough panel of judges. We wish them all the best of luck for the road ahead.”

The 10 chefs going through to the Graduate Awards 2015 final are:

  • Nicholas Cottrell, head chef, Dolphin House Brazzerie, Plymouth
  • Reece Cosier, chef de partie, The Landmark London
  • Alex Murtagh, commis chef, The Landmark London
  • Olivia Baggley, chef de partie, Wiltons, London
  • Grainne Kerr, commis chef, Browns Restaurant, Londonderry
  • Drew Snaith, junior sous chef, Brunswick House, London
  • Miranda Lucien-Johnson, demi chef de partie, Adam Handling at Caxton
  • Josie Thompson, student chef, Westminster Kingsway College
  • Aaron Duffy, sous chef, Grants Restaurant, Omagh
  • Charlie Aggett, demi chef de partie, Hartwell House Hotel, Aylesbury

With Paul Gayler MBE as the chairman of examiners, the awards give chefs aged 23 and under the chance to test the skills they learnt in college and honed in the workplace