Awarded its Michelin star for the 12th consecutive year under Executive Head Chef Hywel Jones, the culinary brigade at Lucknam Park goes from strength to strength. The hotel are delighted to announce that their Junior Sous Chef, Elly Wentworth, is one of three finalists of MasterChef: The Professionals, which was won yesterday by Gary Maclean.
Elly began her catering career at the tender age of 13 where she started as pot washer at a local pub. She went to Plymouth City College to study for an NVQ Level 2 in professional catering and also took an apprenticeship at St Mellion Golf Club in Cornwall. Elly then worked in restaurants in Wales and the Lake District before returning to the South West to work at Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth and then at the Elephant Restaurant in Torquay. From Devon, Elly moved to the Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe in Wiltshire, where she worked as Chef de Partie. Here she entered and won the Young Professional class of the South West Chef of the Year competition in 2012 and again in 2014 before going on to win the title of South West Chef of the Year that same year.
In June 2015, Elly took a position as Chef de Partie at Lucknam Park, Bath and graduated to Junior Sous Chef three months later. In the same year she reached the final of the Craft Guild of Chefs Young National Chef of the Year competition. The following June she was one of four winners of a Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence (kitchen category).
“This is such a serious competition and it’s pushed me beyond normal limits. Getting to the finals was amazing: I didn’t even think I was going to get on the show! The overall experience has been a memory I will not forget. Not only cooking for some of the most talented chefs in the UK, but making some friendships with some awesome contestants too.” Elly Wentworth
“We are all immensely proud of Elly’s success throughout MasterChef: The Professionals and particularly in reaching the final – a phenomenal achievement for someone so young and a reflection of her immense talent. She is a wonderful and valued member of Hywel Jones’s kitchen team and makes a significant contribution to its overall performance. Her success inspires others throughout the hotel. I congratulate her on her achievement and am confident her career will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Claire Randall, Managing Director, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
“Elly has been outstanding throughout the whole MasterChef competition. Whilst it was no surprise to me that she did so well, it was inspiring to see the way she progressed. The way she handled the pressure, the humility and maturity she has displayed and of course the highly accomplished cooking clearly mark her as a unique talent. I’m confident we will all be hearing a lot more about Elly Wentworth in the years to come.”
Hywel Jones, Executive Chef, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
