Since it began in 1983 as the Commis Chef of the Year Award, the Annual Awards of Excellence (AAE) - one of the Academy's most important education and training initiatives - has recognised and rewarded the talents and ambition of young Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Waiters between the ages of 20-26. The Awards test a variety of skills within each discipline. Gleneagles had a total of five winners in the Waiters category, more than any other property, which included Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Le Gavroche. Max Westphal, a supervisor at Gleneagles' Mediterranean restaurant, Deseo, did particularly well, achieving the highest scores out of 14 winners in this particular discipline. For the Waiters category, service staff are tested on their knowledge and skills in a wide range of food and beverage service aspects, including product knowledge, technical service skills, interpersonal skills and teamwork. Max was awarded the prize of a £2,000 bursary, courtesy of the Savoy Educational Trust, for his achievement, while other candidates from Gleneagles Hotel who achieved an award were invited to the prestigious Gala Presentation Dinner where they were presented with a diploma, a chef's jacket or badge for Service and a magnum of Champagne Mumm. The AAE is seen as a great learning experience for young, ambitious members of the catering industry. It is not a competition as there is no first, second and third place, but instead any number of candidates can achieve the standard of excellence of 70% or above. Weblink: www.gleneagles.com