Roux Scholarship brings chef Adam Smith back home | News

March 2026

The Roux Scholarship brings chef Adam Smith back home

By Claire Huggins

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Read time: approx 5 mins

Thursday 5 March saw the University host one of the two regional finals of the prestigious Roux Scholarship, and a warm welcome awaited alumnus chef, Adam Smith MCA, as he came back to where it all began for him.

Hosted simultaneously with the University of West London, the Birmingham regional final boasted a total of five high-profile judges and six finalists. Joining Adam on the day were Alain Roux, Simon Hulstone, Rachel Humphrey and Sat Bains who then turned their professional spotlight on finalists Liam Anderson, Harrison Brockington, Rosie Bull, Andrew Cassling, Niall Firth and William Hampson.

“This is my third year of judging and it’s a great honour to be asked to judge again,” said Adam.

“Today, we’re looking for the best tasting plate of food - taste is everything, but with 18 people cooking with the same ingredients, how do you stand out?”

Designed to showcase some of the UK’s best ingredients, the first challenge was to create a recipe from one Devon White chicken, its livers, leeks and with a sauce to complete the dish.

Testing themselves and each other, the finalists ranged in age from 23 to 29-years-old with 12 of the 18 new to the competition.

Speaking on the day, Chairman Alain Roux said:

“It is great to see so many chefs have been supported to enter the competition by some of the best restaurants in the country at every level. It’s also great to see the past winners, our Roux Scholars, support their chefs. This is what it’s all about: passing on the skills, knowledge and talent to the next generation.”

Adam joined the University in 2003 when it was still known as the College of Food and Tourism; already working in the industry and with a taste for what the hospitality sector could offer him, Adam credits UCB with setting him on the right path for success:

“UCB gave me a reality check as to how important the real basics are if you want to be a professional,” Adam explained.

“How you present yourself, your uniform, your discipline, these are as fundamental to your success as anything else.”

"The Roux Scholarship is a good challenge and putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations helps you to grow and develop as a professional."

Adam Smith MCA UCB alumnus and Executive Chef at Coworth Park

After finishing his course, Adam went on to join chef John Williams MBE at The Ritz in London, crediting his lecturer with identifying the pivotal opportunity, and has since gone from strength-to-strength in his career. A winner of the Roux Scholarship in 2012, Adam is now Executive Chef and mastermind of the fine dining experience ‘Woven’, at Coworth Park in Berkshire.

“I felt I had to make a beeline for London, but today is very different,” Adam said.

“The food scene now is so much more diverse and some of the best restaurants are all over the UK, from the Lake District to Cornwall, to up in Scotland and of course, Birmingham!

“Just 200m away you’ve got Aktar Islam with two Michelin stars cooking some of the best Indian food in the country, if not the world.”

Many congratulations to Liam Anderson and Harrison Brockington who won through to the national final which will be held at the Waterside Inn, home to the Alain Roux Culinary School, on Monday 13 April, followed by the award ceremony at Coworth Park.

The winner of the final will enjoy some truly career-defining opportunities: a chance to train and cook at a three star Michelin restaurant of their choosing – anywhere in the world, as well as £12,000 to support their career progression.

“There’s always a need for tomorrow’s talent, the industry is evolving, we have to keep adapting and a lot of that comes from the young people coming into the sector, what they want for their careers,” Adam concludes.

“The Roux Scholarship is a good challenge and putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations helps you to grow and develop as a professional. It also offers you good insight as to where you are and helps you work on yourself because ultimately, we all want to get better.”

Find out more about our hospitality courses.

Photos from the kitchen courtesy of Chloe Stuart-Bennett for the Roux Scholarship.