Roux award success for Harrogate hotel's sous chef as he wows celebrity judges in UK's most prestigious cooking awards

The talented Adam Jones is one of just 18 chefs to be announced as a regional finalist in the 2024 competition.

Many past winners of the prestigious contest go on to open their won Michelin Star restaurants.

A Sous Chef at Horto Restaurant at Rudding Park in Harrogate, Adam is originally from Merseyside

He studied Food Tech at Savio Salesian College in Netherton before going on to study Law at Leeds University.

Adam was first inspired to become a chef after he booked a table for his girlfriend and himself for Valentine’s Day at Michael O’Hare’s famous The Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds during his final year at university.

Soon he would be working there.

Since then, Adam has worked at both HOME and Owl in Leeds, then moving to Horto, before helping to open the Six by Nico in Leeds.

After returning to Horto in Harrogate as a sous chef, Adam finally decided to apply to the Roux Scholarship.

Adam said: “I was incredibly nervous after the initial entry but getting to the final 18 is an incredible feeling, especially given the calibre of chefs in the competition this year and those who have been in in the past.”

To reach the regional final of The Roux Scholarship competition in its 40th year, the Harrogate chef faced a recipe challenge to create a recipe using one short loin of free-range gilt pork from the shoulder end, untrimmed with four bones in – plus two fresh pork kidneys, plated with two simple or composed garnishes/accompaniments.

Adam and his regional rivals will compete next Thursday, March 7 at University College Birmingham for a place in the final.

If he proves successful, the national final will take place on Monday, April 8 at Westminster Kingsway College, London in front of a star-studded panel of judges including chairman Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr.