Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship Foundation announced two Toronto finalists

Josh Adamo of Auberge du Pommier & Andrew Lecky of Langdon Hall carry on to the final competition for a chance at the $10,000 grand prize

The Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship is thrilled to announce Andrew Lecky of Langdon Hall and Josh Adamo of Auberge du Pommier as the finalists of 2017’s Toronto Regional Heat. Both will carry on to the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship Final competition, held this fall, where both will compete against eight other finalists from across the country for the scholarship’s grand prize of $10,000 and a stage at a renowned international restaurant.

Using only a select few pantry items supplied by General Food Service Canada and Club House for Chefs, Adamo and Lecky wowed the judges with three variations of rainbow trout and rainbow trout with whey glazed potato, salt baked celeriac and laurel veloute, respectively. Both competitors showed an incredible attention to detail in the kitchen and impressed the judges with their carefully constructed plate in the tasting challenge.

Scholarship founder Chef David Hawksworth and Chef de Cuisine, Chris Stewart of Vancouver’s Hawksworth Restaurant and Bel Cafe were joined by a panel of revered Toronto chefs; David Lee of Nota Bene, Rob Gentile of King Street Food Company, Carl Heinrich of Richmond Station and culinary professor, Riley Bennett of George Brown College to judge each chef’s expertise in the kitchen and final dish and ultimately, choose the regional winners. The regional competition will also be followed by a celebratory collaborative dinner at Café Boulud, joined by the Toronto finalists, regional judges and celebrity chefs, Sylvain Assie of Café Boulud and Mark McEwan of The McEwan Group.

“In our fifth year of the scholarship, I continue to be blown away at the caliber of dishes we’re seeing and tasting from such young talent,” says Chef David Hawksworth. “It shouldn’t be surprising given Toronto’s thriving food scene, but the competitors this year really do suggest an even brighter future for it.”

The Scholarship would also like to thank sponsors such as Air Canada, Acqua Panna & San Pellegrino, CIBC, Canadian Linen, GFS, Select Wines & Spirits, Club House and Zwilling J.A.Henckels for making each competition and collaborative dinner possible and for their support of the Scholarship as it continues to encourage the culinary stars of tomorrow.

About Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship:

Created to recognize and inspire young Canadian chefs, the non-profit Foundation’s national annual competition promotes professionalism and culinary excellence within the hospitality industry. Providing a platform for talented young chefs to get a head start in their culinary career, the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship awards competition winners $10,000 and a stage at a selected top international restaurant – giving them the inspiration and opportunity needed to develop their culinary skills.

Website: www.hawksworthscholarship.com

Facebook: /HawkScholarship

Twitter: @HawkScholarship