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Restaurant Manager of the Year UK finalists announced

Published:  04 March, 2011

Seven, instead of the usual six, of the UK's top restaurant managers will go through to the finals of the Academy of Food and Wine Service UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2011 competition.

The seven finalists are:

Damien Bastiat, restaurant manager, Gidleigh Park, Devon
Michele Caggianese, restaurant & bar manager, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London (last year's runner-up)
Nicolas Chesneau, restaurant manager, La Becasse, Ludlow, Shropshire
Shaun Corrigan, restaurants manager, The Grand Jersey
Markus Ludewig, restaurant manager, One Aldwych, London
Peter McAlister, brasserie manager, Malmaison Hotel, Belfast
Paul Shanahan, assistant food & beverage director, London Syon Park, Waldorf Astoria

Sophie Roberts-Brown, executive director of the AFWS, said: "We had such a high standard of entries this year, that we have put a total of seven candidates through rather than six. All of them were extremely impressive at the semi-finals - so we are in for an exciting final.

"The competition, supported by Hospitality Benchmark through the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, the Savoy Educational Trust and sponsored by OpenTable.com, seeks to find a restaurant manager who excels front-of-house, has great people skills, the ability to manage and inspire a team and who can demonstrate a strong business acumen."

Previous winners include David Hennigan, previously of the Crown at Whitebrook, and Peter Avis of Babylon restaurant, London.

The line-up of judges for the 2011 competition includes the 2009 Hotelier of the Year Jonathan Raggett, and director of Roux Consulting, Silvano Giraldin.

The winner's prize will include a week in New York to complete a stage at one of restaurateur Danny Mayer's Union Square Hospitality Group properties.

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