Pastry chef Will Richards is looking forward to making his debut for the Senior Culinary Team Wales at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart next week.
The talented 27-year-old from Llanharry, near Llantrisant, who works as a training officer for Cambrian Training, will be competing for Wales at the biggest and oldest international culinary art exhibition from February 14 to 19.
“It’s a great honour to be selected to represent Wales and to be able to showcase our skills on an international stage,” said Will. “I am really excited about the competition and can’t wait.”
A product of Coleg y Cymoedd, he began working at a local pub before securing a position as sous chef at Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol where he worked with Angela Gray for three years.
Through college, he took advantage of an opportunity to work in Barcelona for three months, firstly at Sauc Restaurant and then at Ohla Barcelona Hotel, a one-star Michelin restaurant, which he described as “hard work but an amazing experience”.
On his return to Wales, he secured the post of head pastry chef at Llanerch Vineyard for eight years and then freelanced for a time before joining Cambrian Training as a hospitality training officer.
In the Welsh team, Will and Matthew Smith, a freelance chef from Newtown, are in charge of the pastry section.
The team is led by Nick Davies, culinary craft trainer with Cambrian Training, who combines the roles of team manager and member whilst Sergio Cinotti, from the award-winning Gemelli and Gem42 Restaurants, Newport, takes over the captaincy for the first time.
The other team members are Dylan Wyn Owens, Manchester City Football Club’s executive chef, Mark Robertson from Coleg Cambria, Wrexham, Jay Humphris from Coleg y Cymoedd and Zak Pegg from The Harbourmaster Hotel, Aberaeron. Logistics manager is Peter Fuchs, culinary director of The Celtic Collection and ICC Wales, Newport.
At the IKA Culinary Olympics, Wales’ senior and junior teams will join around 2,000 chefs and pastry chefs from more than 60 countries.
The senior team’s competition is divided into two elements – Restaurant of Nations and chef’s edible buffet. The team presents its chef’s edible buffet on February 16 and its Restaurant of Nations menu for 110 covers on February 18.
Culinary Team Wales is sponsored by the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Wales, Cambrian Training Company, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Castell Howell Foods, Hybu Cig Cymru and Harlech Foods.
