Chef Alejandro Jose Cancino and waiter William Bonfield have been declared the 2008 Young Chef Young Waiter competition winners following a hotly contested cook-and-serve competition at London's Westminster College on Tuesday 30 September.

Chef Cancino, from Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons is believed to be the first Argentinian to clinch the title in the competitions 24-year history. William Bonfield, from the Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley, had previously entered the competition in 2007 and his experience there spurred him on to enter again this year and go on to clinch the title.

The winners, who have to be under the age of 25, were announced at an awards dinner held at London's Jumeriah Carlton tower the same evening. During the competition, the chefs were presented with a mystery basket of ingredients including rabbit, cod and figs. Cancino's dish of pan-fried cod, mussels marinier, romescu sauce and chips, followed by braised rabbit, pate of its own offal, wild mushrooms and pan-friend foie gras and a dessert of soft chocolate cake, vanilla sauce, chocolate mousse and hazelnuts was a clear hit with the chef judges, especially chair Bruce Poole.

In the waiting competition, Bonfield was required to serve a three course meal including complimentary wines and beer as well as demonstrating further technical knowledge throughout the event. Scotland swept the board with the second-place prizes going to chef Rose Greene from the Balmoral in Edinburgh and waiter Katie Watson at Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder. Third place went to another previous entrant, chef Tristin Farmer of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's in London, and waiter Thomas Mercier of the Vineyard at Stockcross.

Judges included Bruce Poole of London's Chez Bruce and Stephen Mannock of Darlington College, two Michelin starred chefs, David Everitt-Matthias and John Campbell, Anthony Demetre, Theo Randall, Peter Gordon, Jean-Claude Breton of Gordon Ramsay, Simon King of Skylon and 2008 Catey award winners Beppo Buchanan Smith and Andrew McKenzie. Cancino and Bonfield received a selection of prizes which included £2,000 each, an exclusive gastronomic stay including a visit to the Restaurant Show, dinner at Chez Bruce and lunch in the Krug Room at The Dorchester.