English National Team wins gold in Culinary Olympics
The English National Culinary Team won gold in the Culinary Olympics at the Messe Erfurt in Germany this week.
The English senior team, captained by Simon Webb of HSBC Bank and managed by Nick Vadis of Compass Group, won gold in the Restaurant of Nations event and bronze in the international buffet. The junior team won silver in the edible buffet and bronze in the Restaurant of Nations.
The Culinary Olympics are organised every four years and endorsed by the World Association of Chefs' Societies. 30 national teams, 20 junior national teams, and more than 2,000 professional chefs competed in the four-day competition.
Sponsored by Electrolux Professional, Steelite International, Continental Chef Supplies and Major International, the English squad had to produce three courses focusing on their national specialist food for 110 covers including judges in the hot service element of the competition.
British Culinary Federation (BCF) team members included Andrew Ditchfield (House of Commons); Clark Crawley (Gather & Gather); Rob Kennedy (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst); Nathan Aldous (Emmanuel College, Cambridge University); Dennis Mwakulua (Eversheds); Matt Jones (House of Commons); and Daniel Abbs (Emmanuel College).
The junior team was comprised of Edward Marsh (Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa); Thomas Kirkby (Adams restaurant); Nathan Lane (Simpsons restaurant); Jack Gameson (University College Birmingham); Elliot Lawn (University College Birmingham); and Gregory Evans (University College Birmingham); all mentored by Matthew Shropshall and Richard Taylor of University College Birmingham.
BCF competition organiser Lee Corke said: "The Olympics is the largest culinary event in the world, with over 30 national teams, 20 junior national teams and many other chefs competing both regionally and individually. It is one of the toughest competitions in the world and both the senior and junior teams performed very well."
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