When Young Chef Young Waiter finalists Joshua Pelham (22) currently of The Square and Anja Pfujl (23) who at the time of the competition worked with Le Manoir Aux Quait’ Saison came in second place at the 2007 final they not only walked away with a £1000 cash prize but a fantastic long weekend study trip to Piedmonte, Italy, courtesy of Albergo La Spiga and Marrone Wines.

Piedmonte lies on the north-western border of Italy and is best known for its fabulous local cuisine, including white truffles and hazelnuts, not to mention an array of delicious cheeses such as Bra and Robiola. The area is also famous for its Barolo wine which is produced in the hills and valleys of the Langhe, providing the perfect backdrop for the runners up visit.

Josh and Anja jetted off for three days on Friday 30 May and stayed in the heart of the region at Hotel and Ristorante La Spiga, a small four star Country House Hotel nestled amongst the rolling hills. Owners of the hotel and joint sponsors of the runner up prize, Franco and Jane, provided a picturesque base for the weekend trip, serving fabulous fresh local food in the hotel restaurant, perfected by head chef, Davide, who later on in the visit swapped tips with our own runner up chef, Joshua.

The Marrone family, who co-sponsored the trip, were the study tour guides and with the family vineyards covering 18ha across the area daughter and Marrone Marketing Manager Denise Marrone was an excellent chaperone as the young prize winners soaked up the history and flavours of such a rich and exciting region.

There was much to learn. With visits to the markets of Alba Josh and Anja sampled truffles at the local store and learned of their importance to the flavours of the local region. With trips to the vast countryside of the Marrone Vineyards they discovered the perfect planting conditions and the different varieties of grape and the individual needs they have in order to produce quality wines.

Panoramic views at scenic La Morra gave a glimpse of the major wine producing valleys which bottled hundreds of thousands of Italian wines every year. There were also visits to the Grinzano Castle, Turin central and the famous Palazzo Reale Di Torina as well as a trip to ‘Eatily’, a large superstore stocking much of Italy’s most famous produce with an impressive array of food and drink from all across the country.

Marrone Wines also sponsored a wine tasting session for the runners up at their production centre based in La Morra. Here Josh and Anja learned how Marrone grow many different grape varieties, including Arneis, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Moscato and the famous Barolo and how they adopt a very traditional way of working. Grapes are harvested manually and there is no use of pesticides or chemicals which could be dangerous to both health and the environment. Furthermore, Marrone wines also avoid the use of preservatives and wines are bottled using special machinery that keeps the wine away from any contact with oxygen within the bottle.

For runner up waiter Anja it was especially interesting to learn the story of production from grape to bottle as she also developed her skills learning of the depth, flavours and clarity of the wine and how to spot the individual notes. Anja explained, ‘I have really enjoyed the trip and have learned so much about production of wine from this area and the history and tradition of the region.’

Joshua was equally enthusiastic of the visit. ‘The hospitality we have received has been incredible. The food has been delicious too. I really enjoyed the trip to the Grinzano Castle, the Caprese salad was such a fresh dish and it was nice to look out over such an amazing view whilst eating lunch.’

The trip was packed with breathtaking scenery and local historic traditions, educational and interesting snippets, not to mention filled with tasty morsels of local cuisine. It was a huge hit and rounded off nicely the success of the 2007 Young Chef Young Waiter competition.

Young Chef Young Waiter is the industry’s premier competition for both young chefs and young waiters working in the UK hospitality industry today. Entrance to the competition is an essential way for the rising stars of our industry to expand their learning and experience, and enhance both their own and their establishments reputation.

The 2008 Young Chef Young Waiter competition has now officially launched, again with fabulous prizes. To download an application form please click here.

Closing date for entries is Monday 23rd June 2008.

To see photographs or read more about the YCYW 07 Runner up trip to Piedmonte please visit the website at www.bha.org.uk/ycyw

For further information on Marrone wines please click here.

For further information on hotel and ristorante La Spiga, click here.

Photograph: The Marrone Family (left), La Spiga owners Franco and Jane and YCYW 07 Runners Up Josh and Anja enjoy their first night in Piedmonte