Young Marlow chef reaches UK final of prestigious contest

A Marlow-based chef has reached the UK final of a prestigious culinary competition which aims to find the top chefs under the age of 30.

Joshua Wilde, who works at The Hand and Flowers in West Street, is competing in the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, a global initiative that strives to discover 'inspiring young chefs around the world'. 

The bi-annual competition has the support of some celebrated figures in the industry, with judges including Jason Atherton and Lisa Goodwin Allen.

The UK final of the contest will take place in London on Wednesday, October 12, with Joshua joining a shortlist of 10 of the UK’s 'most promising' chefs under 30.

Joshua impressed an international judging panel, rising to the top of thousands of applications from across the world. 

Originally from Portsmouth in Hampshire, where he went to college, the Marlow chef then went straight to the Berkley Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.

Since then, he has expanded his knowledge by cooking in Denmark and working with renowned chef Monica Galetti.

He now works with celebrity foodie Tom Kerridge at The Hand and Flowers, having been sous chef at both this establishment and Kerridge's other Michelin-starred Marlow venue, The Coach.

Joshua is now head chef of the private dining room, The Shed, in Marlow.

“The competition is an amazing competition for any young chef to be a part of, enabling them to showcase what they’ve learnt throughout their career so far and where they want to go in the future," he said.

"I am so excited to be in the regional final. I am constantly developing, learning and acquiring new skills, techniques and knowledge; and the competition means I can demonstrate my experience so far, alongside all the other talented chefs who’ve been shortlisted.

"It is a great opportunity for me to look back and see how far I’ve come in my career, too.”

At the UK final in October, ten finalists will present their signature dishes to the renowned jury panel who will judge the candidates’ food and select the winners of the four awards.

These chefs will then move on to the grand finale that will take place in Milan, Italy, next year. 

To discover the full list of candidates, visit www.sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com