Sussex teenager named winner of prestigious culinary competition by cooking icon Michel Roux Jr.

18-year-old Caoimhe O’Neill-McGuinness from Eastbourne was crowned the winner of Le Cordon Bleu London's 2024 Scholarship competition at an awards ceremony and dinner held at CORD Restaurant in London on Monday, September 16.

Two runners up were also recognised; Fiona Fitwe from Belfast was awarded second place, and William Walker-Hardie of Edinburgh came in third.

The evening was attended by leading figures from the hospitality industry, including celebrated chefs and restaurateurs such as Michel Roux Jr, Chris Galvin, Michael Kwan (The Dorchester), Rakesh Nair (Cinnamon Collection), Nicolas Houchet (The Savoy), Daniel Stucki (Sketch) and Shaun Whatling (The Berkeley).

In the final stages of the competition 15 finalists were tasked with recreating a Provençal Tart, as demonstrated to them by Le Cordon Bleu London’s Head Cuisine Chef, Eric Bediat. Judged by senior Le Cordon Bleu staff and a panel of distinguished guest judges including Chris Galvin of Galvin Restaurants, Emily Roux of Caractère, Phaidon’s Managing Culinary Editor Ellie Smith and Le Cordon Bleu’s Culinary Arts Director Chef Emil Minev.

Following the Caoimhe has been awarded a full scholarship to pursue Le Cordon Bleu’s renowned Grand Diplôme, combining both cuisine and pâtisserie training, along with a coveted internship at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu, mentoring from Michel Roux Jr, and accommodation in London for a year.

Caoimhe will also enjoy a range of exclusive prizes provided by the scholarship's esteemed sponsors. These include work experience at the renowned Galvin Restaurants and mentorship with Chef Patron Chris Galvin, a work experience session with Galvin Restaurants, a behind-the-scenes trip to Andros HQ in South-West France, and one-on-one time with Phaidon’s Managing Culinary Editor, Ellie Smith, offering an opportunity to learn about the cookbook creation process.

The winner and runners-up also received bottles of wine and Champagne from prestigious producers Gosset and Louis Latour, adding to the celebration of their success.

Following her win Caoimhe O’Neill-McGuinness said: “It feels amazing to be the winner of the 2024 Le Cordon Bleu scholarship. What an incredible prize, studying the Grand Diplôme and the opportunity to intern at CORD, where I will be producing food of such a high standard.

"It’s incredible to have Michel Roux Jr and Chris Galvin as mentors and accommodation from Londonist is something I never would have been able to have without this scholarship. I never thought I’d be workshopping a cookbook with Phaidon or visiting the Andros factory in France to see what other career paths are like. I’m just so excited and can’t wait to start.”

Emil Minev, Culinary Arts Director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said: "We were thoroughly impressed with the level of talent displayed by all of our finalists. Caoimhe truly stood out for her passion, drive, and she presented an excellent dish in the finale. We are excited to see what she will achieve in her culinary career. This competition is a testament to the incredible future that awaits the next generation of chefs, and we are honoured to be part of Caoimhe’s journey."