Olive Barnett Award 2006 Finalists Named

Eight finalists have been named for the Olive Barnett Award 2006 and now they will be eagerly waiting for Monday 15th May, when the winner will be announced at a champagne reception at Claridgeís.

Before then however, the finalists will each be required to make a personal presentation to the judging panel on their career achievements to date, their career development plans for the next five years and how winning the Award would help their career aspirations.

The Olive Barnett Award, created by and sponsored by the Savoy Gastronomes, and the Chess Partnership, is run by Springboard with the prize grants provided by the Savoy Educational Trust and the main prize given by the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne. This yearís task for entrants was to answer the question: ëIf you were planning to open up a business of your own in hospitality, leisure, travel or tourism, what business would it be, and what would your top five priorities be to ensure a successful and profitable ventureí?

The lucky winner will receive a career development grant of 1000 per year for a three-year period, plus an all expenses paid placement on the weeklong hospitality management summer programme at the world famous Ecole htelire de Lausanne. The second and third prizewinners will receive a three-year career development grant of 750 and 500 respectively.

The eight finalists for 2006 are:

Matthew Barker, Assistant Brasserie Manager, Malmaison Charterhouse Square, London; Sarah Bienvenu, Food & Beverage Manager, Premier Travel Inn, London; Jessica Cain, Assistant Manager, Milburns, Bristol Zoological Gardens; Martino Del Bueno, Assistant Front Office Manager, Claridgeís, London; Darren Gallagher, Groups Manager, Hilton Glasgow; Katja Hagenbucher, Front Office Manager, Victoria Park Plaza, London; Nicholas Markovitz, Food & Beverage Management Trainee, The Dorchester, London; Paul Nixon, Discovery Centre Manager, Scottish Seabird Centre, East Lothian.