SUCCESS is on the menu for a young waiter from a boutique Lake District hotel.

Twenty-three-year-old Joseph Barker, one of the restaurant team at the Rothay Manor Hotel in Ambleside, is through to the semi-finals of the Young Chef Young Waiter competition.

Now in its 40th year, the yearly event is designed to promote careers in hospitality, and is open to young professionals aged under 26.

Joseph, who works in the hotel's 3 AA rosette restaurant, is among 20 waiters and 20 chefs who will be facing industry judges during the in-depth finals in London.

The panel will include chefs such as Tom Kerridge, Jason Atherton and Clare Smyth MBE and they will be looking for expertise, knowledge, creativity, problem solving and teamwork skills.

The contestants will be whittled down over two days, with winners to be announced at famous London brasserie Quaglino's, in St James's, on Tuesday, October 29, 2019.

The competition is endorsed by UK Hospitality and the Restaurant Association.

Hotelier Jamie Shail, who owns the 19-bedroom Rothay Manor Hotel, said: "It’s vital we encourage our young people to get involved in the hospitality industry, to see it as a long-term career with opportunities to grow and develop. Competitions like this reaffirm this sentiment and firmly demonstrate that we are serious about what we do and encourage our young people to be the best they can possibly be and Joseph is to be congratulated in making to the semi-finals and, no matter what happens, the entire team is proud of him.’’