Welsh Food

A nationwide hunt has been launched to find talented butchers who are a cut above the rest to follow in the footsteps of Lincolnshire’s James Taylor in a competition organised by Cambrian Training.

James, who works for G Simpson Butchers in Heckington, won the prestigious Butchery WorldSkills UK competition organised by Cambrian Training last November and his successor is now being sought.

Butchers are tested for overall skill, innovation, creativity, presentation, work ethic, method and approach to tasks, carcass and primal utilisation, waste and safe and hyginic working practice.

Regional heats or assessment rounds will take place between April and July and the six top scoring butchers from across the UK will qualify for the final to be held at The Skills Show at the NEC Birmingham from November 15-17.

In the final, butchers will complete five tasks over two days in front of a live audience. The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills and careers event and helps to shape the future of the next generation.

The butchery competition is organised by award-winning training provider Cambrian Training Company and supported by an Industry Steering Group. Sponsors are the Food and Drink Education Training Council, The Institute of Meat, Hybu Cig Cymru/Meat Promotion Wales and The National Federation of Meet and Food Traders.

To enter, butchers do not need qualifications, but must not have completed a qualification higher than a level 4 in Food Manufacturing Excellence or equivalent.

They must possess good knife and primary and secondary butchery skills, including seam butchery, with a minimum of six months practical experience, good tying and stringing skills, sausage making experience and ability to work under pressure in front of an audience.

Butchery is one of more than 60 skills to feature in this year’s WorldSkills UK Competitions which are proven to help young people go further, faster in their training and careers. The competitions are designed by industry experts and focus on the highest UK and international standards.

They deliver benefits to not only apprentices and students, but also to their employers, training providers and colleges. Taking part in the competitions equips apprentices in industry with the world-class skills needed to help organisations maintain their competitive edge.

More than 95% of past entrants believed that taking part in the competitions, at any level, improved their technical and employability skills.

“It’s important that butchery is represented as a skill at WorldSkills UK because it’s a real craft that needs to be benchmarked and promoted,” said Arwyn Watkins, Cambrian Training Company’s chief executive. “Its inclusion for the fourth time is a great tool to raise the industry’s standards and profile.”

For more information please visit: www.cambriantraining.com

Chefs representing the Culinary Association of Wales were awarded a bronze medal in the La Parade des Chefs contest at Hotelympia in London yesterday (Thursday).

The International Salon Culinaire was an important warm up event for national culinary teams from Wales and England before for the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in November. Snow prevented Scotland from competing.

The two national teams were given six hours to prepare a three-course meal for 110 people, replicating the Culinary World Cup rules. England emerged with a silver medal.

Two chefs made their debuts for Wales in the competition: Sergio Cinotti, who runs the award-winning Gimelli Restaurant in Newport and Alun Davies, former captain of the Combined Services and RAF culinary teams who is based in Winchester.

Their teammates were captain Danny Burke, co-owner of Olive Tree Catering, Hawarden, Hefin Roberts, head chef of Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, near Conwy, Jason Hughes of Chateau Rhianfa, Menai Bridge and Toby Beevers of PSL Purchasing Systems and Brian Henry, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.

They served up a starter of scallops, with ceviche, compressed cucumber and chicken skin granola and a main course of Welsh venison with a cottage pie, tomato fondue, baby carrots, root vegetable puree, salted turnip and rosemary jus. Dessert was white chocolate and lemon mousse with Welsh honey, raspberry sorbet, raspberry gel and mint.

“You don’t very often get an opportunity to test your dishes and working practices and be judged by Worldchefs judges in a live competition before the Culinary World Cup,” said Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins.

“The team has had some very valuable feedback which will help us when we get to Luxembourg. The competition was very much an important part of our developmental journey for the Culinary World Cup.”

Also competing in a different category of the contest were chefs from the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, who won a silver medal for the second year running. They were given five hours to produce a three-course meal for 100.

The team cooked a starter of scallop with cabbage, burnt apple, sorrel, coastal leaves and wild rice followed by a main course of Welsh Mountain Lamb’s ladder, sweetbread, loin, artichoke, confit celeriac, leek, wild garlic, peas, spelt, brassica, morel and jus. Dessert was honey and lemon meringue with toasted white chocolate and ginger crumble, raspberry pastille, sorbet, gel and warm sticky ginger and almond sponge.

A Team Wales approach to the International Salon Culinaire saw the Welsh Government support a food and drink showcase at Hotelympia, featuring Welsh producers.

The Culinary Team Wales is sponsored by the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Wales, Cambrian Training Company, Grwp Llandrillo Menai, Castell Howell Foods, Hybu Cyg Cymru, Harlech Foods and Goodfellows.

For more information please visit: www.cambriantraining.com

A team of Welsh chefs battled through the snow to deliver the true flavour of Welsh food to a St David’s Day reception hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street.

Seven chefs from the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) were invited to prepare Welsh food such as savoury and sweet canapes for 250 VIP guests from business, tourism, sport and media at the 10, Downing Street reception organised by Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan.

The team was led by Michael Bates, executive head chef at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport and included CAW president Arwyn Watkins, Mike Ramsden, Chris Bason and Ioan Lewis, all from Cambrian Training Company, Welshpool, Colin Gray, managing director of Capital Cuisine, Caerphilly and Danny Burke, co-owner of Olive Tree Catering, Hawarden. They were accompanied by Glenn Lewis, the Celtic Manor Resort’s food and beverage director.

The savoury canapes were Welsh rarebit- balsamic, beetroot, Perlas tartlet and Halen Mon black garlic ketchup, pulled Celtic Pride beef with Danzy Jones glaze, Penclawdd cockle, Wye smoked salmon, fritter and lava bread mayo.

The sweet canapes were Hilltop Honey mini pancakes, rhubarb compote and crushed honeycomb and Welsh cake with strawberry gel and Welsh clotted cream.

Welsh food and drink suppliers were also invited to showcase their products at the event, including Welsh whisky from Penderyn, wine from Glyndwr Vineyard and Welsh produce from Cwm Farm Charcuterie.

Because European Council president Donald Tusk was visiting for Brexit talks and a lunch, the Welsh chefs were unable to use the kitchens at 10, Downing Street and instead moved their preparations next door to No 11.

“We were allowed into 10, Downing Street at 2pm, served our canapes and were on the road back to Wales by 5pm,” said Bates. “We were all proud to represent Wales and it was an amazing experience to showcase our nation’s food.

“Everybody seemed to enjoy the canapes and we had very good feedback from the Prime Minister, Alun Cairns and officials. The Prime Minister had a chat with each team member and congratulated us for making the effort to travel to London to put on a great reception

“It was a shame that the weather prevented many of the invited guests from attending the reception, but we achieved what we had set to do.”

The team’s homeward journey was challenging in treacherous driving conditions, as the motorway was littered with sliding and abandoned cars and jack-knifed lorries.

“We were very fortunate to arrive back at the Celtic Manor for 8.45pm,” added Bates.

The Prime Minister said: “Tonight, let’s celebrate the very best of Welsh life and, of course, the very best of Welsh food and drink!

“Every year, millions of people are seeing for themselves just how much Wales has to offer. That includes myself and my husband, who are regular visitors to Snowdonia. We love to go walking there.”

Mr Cairns said:

“Today’s reception is all about celebrating everything that Wales has to offer to the world and there is indeed much to celebrate.

“We are a proud nation and a special part of the United Kingdom. We have Welsh entrepreneurs, inventors and creative people leaving an indelible mark all around the globe, each overseeing Wales’ tremendous renaissance in sport, cuisine, arts and business.”

Feature image: The team of chefs representing the Culinary Association Wales outside 10, Downing Street (from left) Arwyn Watkins, Ioan Lewis, Glenn Lewis, Mike Ramsden, Colin Gray, Mike Bates, Chris Bason and Danny Burke.

Welsh Food being used as Wales’ bid to host the Worldchefs Congress in 2024 is being supported by the organisation’s continental director for Northern Europe.

Welsh Food tickled the taste buds of Dragan Unic, from Sweden who said he hoped Wales’ bid would be successful and praised the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) for hosting a very successful European chefs’ conference at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport last May.

The CAW is keen to bring the global event to the new International Convention Centre at the Celtic Manor Resort. They are both working with the Welsh Government on the ‘Team Wales’ bid.

“I think Wales is on the right track to become a culinary destination,” said Mr Unic. “After years of not being on the world culinary map, people are starting to talk about Wales.

“We had our European chefs’ conference here last year and I do my best to push for Wales in any way I can. It will be great if Wales can hold the Worldchefs Congress because it will be in my region.

“Member countries like to attend a well organised congress and we know that Wales can deliver. There was a real buzz following the European conference in Wales, especially from countries that were unable to attend.

“I love Wales and hope to return with my wife to see more of the country.”

Mr Unic was in Wales as a guest of the CAW to judge at the Welsh International Culinary Championships at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s, Rhos-on-Sea campus last week.

He presented CAW and president Arwyn Watkins with the Worldchefs Continental Director’s Culinary Friendship Award.

It was his third visit to the event and he was impressed by the progress made by competitors.

“I have seen the amazing progress made by students over the past three years,” he said. “The thing I enjoy the most is seeing the progression of young people.

“I am particularly impressed by the progress made by the Junior Culinary Team Wales. They have moved to a totally different level since last year and I think the team has great potential.”

At last year’s WICC, he picked out a young chef, Sarah Davies, for special mention and invited her to travel to Sweden to gain experience working in his business.

Although she had been unable to take up the invitation, Mr Unic was pleased to see that she was now a member of Junior Culinary Team Wales.

“The development that she has made in one year is totally amazing,” he added. “She’s a fantastic young chef.”

Two years ago, he selected Faye Norris as the stand out competitor and she has just returned to England to work at the Moat House, Stafford after spending eight months working in his business.

This year’s WICC attracted 370 competitors over four days and brought together all of Wales culinary competitions in the same venue for the first time.

In addition to the National and Junior Chef of Wales finals, the Battle for the Dragon contest and Cake Cymru, the culinary finals of Skills Competition Wales and the Major International Regional Competition were held.

“It totally makes sense that all the competitions are held at the WICC because it exposes the competitors to networking opportunities and enables them to engage with employers,” said CAW president Arwyn Watkins. “They are showcasing their skills like they would in a real-life situation.”

The main WICC awards were presented at a dinner held at the Llandudno Bay Hotel, Llandudno, which was attended by Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs.

The winners were: The results were: Junior Chef of Wales, Arron Tye, Carden Park, Chester. National Chef of Wales, Tom Westerland, Lucknam Park, Colerne, Chippenham. Battle fort the Dragon, England national junior team. Best static display, Hefin Roberts, executive chef at Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, near Conwy. Best in show live classes, Chloe Lloyd Hughes, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College. Best team live, Loughborough College. Ecolab award for best overall hygiene excellence, Sophie Atter, Coventry College. Eric Bruce Award for best junior, Ellie Butler, Shrewsbury College. Best college, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.

The WICC is organised by the CAW and main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

For more information please visit Cambrian Training homepage.

Talented chef Arron Tye ticked off one of his career ambitions when he received the Junior Chef of Wales trophy on Thursday (15th), Managing Director of Cambrian Training, thanked the competitors, judges and sponsors for making this year’s WICC so successful.

The 23-year-old chef de partie from Carden Park Hotel, Chester who is captan of Junior Culinary Team Wales, clinched the coveted title after a closely contested final at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s, Rhos-on-Sea campus. Arwyn Watkins, Managing Director of Cambrian Training, thanked the competitors, judges and sponsors for making this year’s WICC so successful.

“I have always wanted to win this award and hopefully I can go forward to the National Chef of Wales final in the future,” he said. “I hope this award means that I am going to do great things and move up with my career.”

Tye’s Junior Culinary Team Wales teammate Harry Paynter-Roberts, 20, Manchester House Restaurant, Manchester, was a runner-up for the second year running.

The other runners-up were Oliver Thompson, 19, The Bull, Beaumaris, Luke Rawicki, 20, who works at The Slaughters Manor House, Lower Slaughter, Cheltenham and Thomas Martin, 21, Holm House Hotel, Penarth.

Tye’s reward for winning the competition is a three-day, all-inclusive culinary tour with Koppert Cress in Holland, which will include a masterclass from a two-star Michelin chef, cooking for the company’s chief executive in a development kitchen and an introduction to new cress developments and Dutch cuisine new market trends.

He also automatically qualified for the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year contest semi-final and received a set of engraved knives from Friedr Dick and a £100 voucher for products from Churchill.

The chefs cooked a three-course menu for four people in three hours, using Welsh ingredients wherever possible.

Tye’s winning menu opened with a starter of pan fried Anglesey scallops and seabass fillet with tortellini, charred Welsh baby leeks, pickled onion cups, leek puree and onion broth. Main course was Rhug Estate organic pork fillet wrapped pancetta served with sage and onion sausage glazed young carrot, pot roasted savoy cabbage and orange and carrot puree. Dessert was Blodyn Aur rapeseed sponge with Gwynt y Ddraig cider apples, honeycomb tuile, loganberry cremeux and blackberry ice cream.

Paynter-Roberts served up a starter of roasted scallops, celeriac and beurre noisette followed by a main course of salt age duck breast, blackberry and baked beetroot. Dessert was quince, red wine, walnut and vanilla ice cream.

The WICC are organised by the Culinary Association of Wales and the main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

Martin’s dishes included a starter of seabass and crab tartare, a main course of lamb leek and celeriac and a dessert of rhubarb soufflé with ginger ice cream. Due to a problem with his soufflé mix, he was unable to served up his dessert on time.

Thompson cooked a starter of pan fried Menai king scallop, cauliflower and white chocolate puree and sweet and sour vinaigrette. Main course was roast Welsh loin of venison, pommes Anna, salt baked beetroot and smoked chocolate jus. Dessert was poached mulled apple, hazelnut tuile, caramel ganache and sage and sweet wine dressing.

Rawicki’s menu opened with veal sweetbread, mushroom, cauliflower and bone marrow followed by a main course of stone bass, pickled clam, leek and dulce sauce. Dessert was honey mousse, ginger, lemon and whiskey.

The final judges were Culinary Association of Wales vice president Colin Gray, Worldchefs continental director for Northern Europe Dragan Unic, Junior Culinary Team Wales manager Michael Evans, Culinary Team Wales captain Danny Burke and Nick Davies.

The WICC are organised by the Culinary Association of Wales and the main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

For more information please visit: www.cambriantraining.com

It was a case of third time lucky for talented chef Tom Westerland who on Thursday 15th became the new National Chef of Wales at the Welsh International Culinary Championships, Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins, Managing Director of Cambrian Training, thanked the competitors, judges and sponsors for making this year’s WICC so successful.

Having been runner up for the title for the last two years, the 26-year-old head chef Lucknam Park Hotel, Colerne celebrated victory this time, but it was another exceptionally close final at the four-day Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) held at Grwp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhos-on-Sea campus. Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins Managing Director of Cambrian Training thanked the competitors, judges and sponsors for making this year’s WICC so successful.

The final was split into two heats, with three chefs competing in each. Runners-up were Dion Wyn Jones, 30, Carden Park Hotel, Chester; Matthew Ramsdale, 25, The Chester Grosvenor, Chester; Matthew Smith, 34, Hawkstone Park Hotel, Weston-under-Redcastle, Shrewsbury; Gavin Kellett, 33, The Vine Tree, Llangattock, Crickhowell and John Quill, 45, JQ Catering Services Ltd, Barry.

“I am lost for words, to be honest,” was Westerland’s immediate reaction after receiving the dragon trophy. “Having seen everyone else’s impressive dishes, I wasn’t confident of winning and I was very nervous waiting for the result to be announced.

“This award means everything to me and it shows what three years of hard work, perseverance and development can do for you.”

He is the second chef from Lucknam Park to win the award, following in the footsteps of Ben Taylor in 2016.

“I have been staring at my boss’s trophy for three years and now I have one of my own,” he added.

Having been a finalist in last year’s National Chef of the Year contest organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs, he is looking forward to competing again this year.

In addition to receiving the dragon trophy, he won a three-day, all-inclusive culinary tour with Koppert Cress in Holland, which will include a masterclass from a two-star Michelin chef, cooking in a development kitchen for the company’s chief executive and an introduction to new cress developments and Dutch cuisine new market trends.

He also received £250 worth of Churchill products and an engraved set of knives made by Friedr Dick.

His winning menu opened with a starter of Glamorgan sausage, salad of heritage beetroot, glazed pecans and beetroot ketchup. His main course was fillet of Welsh Wagyu beef, beer braised onion, cavolo nero, black trumpette, crispy onion and Lapsang souchong. Dessert was Penderyn Whisky cheesecake, Bramley apple, blackberry sorbet and hazelnut crumble.

The finalists were given three hours to prepare and cook a three-course menu for four people using Welsh ingredients wherever possible.

In a first for the National Chef of Wales final, one of chefs cooked a totally vegan menu. Gavin Kellett served a starter of Welshman’s seaweed cannelloni, Da Mhile gin caviar, sesame, kale and Blodyn Aur laverbread. Main course was potato rosti, confit leek, veloute and black garlic followed by a dessert of Gwynt y Ddraig cider panna cotta, vanilla, crumble and fermented blackberries.

Smith and Ramsdale were runners up for the second successive year. Smith served up a starter of crab and vodka melon followed by a main course of 90-day rib eye fillet, oyster espuma, smoked wild mushroom puree, pulled rib fritter, dripping potatoes, vegetables and beer jus. Dessert was ports and Hisbiscus poached pears, Per Las panna cotta, pear sponge, black pepper tuile, mascarpone ice cream and blackberry.

Ramsdale’s menu opened with roasted Anglesey scallop, caramelised cauliflower, golden raisins and chicken flavours. Main course was Loomswood duck breast, burnt onion broth, alliums and chive. Dessert was crème fraiche, clementine, Halon Mon salted caramel and pistachio. Dessert was Welsh chocolate and hazelnut mousse, Halen Mon hazelnut brittle, griottine and cherry beer ice cream.

Jones’ starter was Anglesey rainbow trout, Conwy pickled crab rillettes, carrot and brown crab puree, pickled baby carrot, puffed wild rice and fresh lime. Main course was Quinta Kamado barbecued Rhug Estate organic chicken breast, Wooltons pie, roasted onion, baby leeks, wilted spinach and chicken wing jus.

Quill’s menu opened with wild mushroom and leek arancini, spiced tomato, green pesto and butternut squash. Main course was roasted fillet of Welsh Lamb, Carmarthenshire pomme Anna potatoes, roasted, roasted celeriac, beetroot crisps, mango and mint puree. He ran out of time to cook his dessert of chocolate , raspberry and pistachio tuiles with banoffee truffle and citrus coulis.

The final brought the curtain down on successful four days of competitions at the WICC, which saw 370 chefs and front of house staff compete. All the nation’s culinary competitions were brought together in one venue for the first time.

In addition to the National and Junior Chef of Wales contests, the Skills Competition Wales culinary finals and the Major International Regional Competition were held alongside the Battle for the Dragon contest between the junior national teams of Wales and England.

The awards were announced and presented at a dinner held at the Llandudno Bay Hotel, which was attended by Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs.

Mrs Griffiths stressed how important the food industry was to the Welsh economy and praised the country’s “fantastic” food and drink companies and talented chefs. She was keen to promote the range of exciting career opportunities available in the industry.

Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins thanked the competitors, judges and sponsors for making this year’s WICC so successful, with more classes and competitors.

“This week has really demonstrated what is possible when we work in partnership with like-minded people,” he said.

The WICC are organised by the Culinary Association of Wales and main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

For more information please visit: www.cambriantraining.com

With Welsh rugby fans still smarting from their country’s controversial Six Nations Championship rugby defeat to England at Twickenham last Saturday, there was more disappointment for Wales on Thursday (15th).

Cambrian Training says the two countries clashed again, this time as talented young chefs competed in the Battle for the Dragon cook-off at the Welsh International Culinary Championships at Coleg Llandrillo Menai, Rhos-on-Sea.

Again England came out on top with the country’s junior national culinary team taking the Dragon Trophy home after two days of competition against the Junior Culinary Team Wales.

The two teams were challenged to prepare and cook a three course meal for 90 people. A panel of international chef judges kept a close watch on their work in the kitchen before tasting the dishes and delivering their verdict.

The England team, managed by Matthew Shropshall and captained by Edward Marsh, comprised Jack Gameson, Greg Evans, Nathan Lane and Angelina Adamo.

They served up a starter of farmed pan-roasted halibut, langoustine croquette, radish and cucumber salad, Romanesco and langoustine veloute. Main course was venison loin, potato gateaux, fennel puree, cabbage, sweetbread boudin, saut饤 wild mushrooms and port sauce. Dessert was dark chocolate and orange mousse, citrus sponge and iced blood orange.

Since competing in the Culinary Olympics in 2016, where they won two silver medals, Wales have been rebuilding their junior team to replace three members who are now too old to compete as juniors.

Team manager Michael Evans, a lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo Menai, where the team is based, called up Harry Paynter-Roberts, demi chef de parti at Manchester House, Manchester and Catrin Thomas, demi chef de partie at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.

The new look team was captained by new Junior Chef of Wales contest winner Aarron Tye, chef de partie at Carden Park, Chester and his other teammates were James Whalley, Commis chef at Tyddyn Llan, Corwen and Sarah Davies, chef de partie Hayloft Restaurant, Bodnant.

Wales cooked a menu that opens with seared scallop, langoustine thermidor, granola, cucumber, piccalilli and seafood espuma. Main course is pork tenderloin wrapped prosciutto, pig’s head bon bon, honey roasted carrots, carrot puree, sprout leaves, apples and parsnip with pork jus. To round off the meal, the dessert is Bramley apple, vanilla ice cream and red wine.

The WICC are organised by the Culinary Association of Wales and the main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

For more information please visit: www.cambriantraining.com

Five young Welsh chefs face an anxious wait until Thursday night to discover which of them is the new Junior Chef of Wales.

The chefs were involved in a tense final cook-off yesterday (Monday) afternoon in the curtain raiser for this year’s Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s, Rhos-on-Sea campus, which end with a presentation dinner on Thursday night.

Seeking to become Wales’ top junior chef are finalists Harry Paynter-Roberts, 20, Manchester House Restaurant, Manchester; Arron Tye, 22, Carden Park Hotel, Chester; Oliver Thompson, 19, The Bull, Beaumaris; Luke Jordan, 20, who works at Slaughters Manor House, Cheltenham and Thomas Martin, 21, Holm House Hotel, Penarth.

They each cooked a three-course menu for four people in three hours, using Welsh ingredients wherever possible. Keeping a watchful eye over the finalists were the judges – Culinary Association of Wales vice president Colin Gray, Worldchefs continental director for Northern Europe Dragan Unic, Junior Culinary Team Wales manager Michael Evans, Culinary Team Wales captain Danny Burke and Nick Davies.

Paynter-Roberts, runner-up in last year’s final, served up a starter of roasted scallops, celeriac and beurre noisette followed by a main course of salt age duck breast, blackberry and baked beetroot. Dessert was quince, red wine, walnut and vanilla ice cream.

“All the dishes went out on time and I’m happy with everything,” he said. “I was a bit worried about cooking the duck because I have been working on pastry for the last 10 months, but it seems to have gone ok.”

Tye’s menu opened with a starter of pan fried Anglesey scallops and seabass fillet with tortellini, charred Welsh baby leeks, pickled onion cups, leek puree and onion broth. Main course was Rhug Estate organic pork fillet wrapped pancetta served with sage and onion sausage glazed young carrot, pot roasted savoy cabbage and orange and carrot puree. Dessert was Blodyn Aur rapeseed sponge with Gwynt y Ddraig cider apples, honeycomb tuile, loganberry cremeux and blackberry ice cream.

“Everything went according to plan and I’m happy with the dishes,” said Tye.

Martin’s dishes included a starter of seabass and crab tartare, a main course of lamb leek and celeriac and a dessert of rhubarb soufflé with ginger ice cream.

Making his competition debut, he failed to serve up his dessert on time.

“The soufflé mix wasn’t good and I wasn’t prepared to serve it,” he said.

Thompson cooked a starter of pan fried Menai king scallop, cauliflower and white chocolate puree and sweet and sour vinaigrette. Main course was roast Welsh loin of venison, pommes Anna, salt baked beetroot and smoked chocolate jus. Dessert was poached mulled apple, hazelnut tuile, caramel ganache and sage and sweet wine dressing.

He said it was the first “proper” competition he had entered and everything had gone according to plan. “I liked all my dishes but I think the presentation needed more work,” he added.

Jordan’s menu opened with veal sweetbread, mushroom, cauliflower and bone marrow followed by a main course of stone bass, pickled clam, leek and dulce sauce. Dessert was honey mousse, ginger, lemon and whiskey.

“This was my first competition outside college and I managed to plate everything up at the end,” he said. “I was happy with my dishes.”

Both Tye and Paynter-Roberts will be in action again tomorrow (Wednesday) as members of the Junior Team Wales who will be taking on England in the Battle for the Dragon contest.

The Junior Chef of Wales winner will spend a three-day, all-inclusive culinary tour with Koppert Cress in Holland, which will include a masterclass from a two star Michelin chef, cooking for the company’s chief executive in a development kitchen and an introduction to new cress developments and Dutch cuisine new market trends.

The winner will also automatically qualify for the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year contest semi-final and receive a set of engraved knives from Friedr Dick.

The four-day WICC brings together all the nation’s culinary competitions in one venue for the first time. In addition to the National and Junior Chef of Wales finals and the Battle for the Dragon contest, there will be the culinary finals of Skills Competition Wales and the Major International Regional Competition.

The growing popularity of baking, sugarcraft and cake decorating is reflected in the Cake Cymru show, which opens on Tuesday.

The Battle for the Dragon contest begins on Wednesday, with the Junior Culinary Team Wales competing against England’s junior team. Wales are first into the kitchen followed by England on Thursday, with both teams challenged to prepare and cook a three-course meal for 90 paying guests in three hours.

The Skills Competition Wales culinary finals and the Major International Regional Competition, which began yesterday and end tomorrow, are running alongside a wide range of WICC competitions for chefs and front of house staff.

The event concludes on Thursday with the prestigious National Chef of Wales final, which sees eight chefs compete in morning and afternoon heats. F

The WICC are organised by the Culinary Association of Wales and the main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

Other sponsors include Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru, Castell Howell, Major International, Harlech Foods, H. N. Nuttall, Churchill, MCS Tech, Rollergrill, Koppertcress and Dick Knives.

Watch the WICC live at on www.gllm.ac.uk/welshfood/

For more information visit: www.cambriantraining.com