Welsh National Team scoops silver and bronze in Culinary Olympics
Welsh teams came away with silver and bronze medals at the Culinary Olympics at the Messe Erfurt in Germany this week.
Wales' senior team, captained by Danny Burke (Shared Olive restaurant and Olive Tree Catering) and managed by Peter Fuchs (Celtic Manor Resort) collected three bronze medals, while its junior team achieved two silvers in the hot kitchen and the cold edible buffet and live theatre.
The Culinary Olympics are organised every four years and endorsed by the World Associations of Chefs' Societies. 30 national teams, 20 junior national teams, and more than 2,000 professional chefs competed in the four-day competition.
Team members also included Karl Jones Hughes and Simon Crockford (Celtic Manor Resort), Ryan Jones (Dawn Meats), Jason Hughes (Chateau Rhianfa) and Michael Ramsden (Cambrian Training Company).
Senior Welsh team
Their menu included:
• Butter-poached langoustine, pan-fried scallop with textures of cauliflower and granola
• Herb and potato-crusted beef fillet, braised and glazed beef cheek, truffle and Parmesan potato, onion puree and confit carrot
• Chocolate marquise with coconut, ganache with raspberry and biscuits, raspberry parfait on coconut mallow, praline-crusted roasted pineapple and pineapple gel.
The junior team was captained by Jack Davison (The Quay Hotel & Spa in Deganwy) and included Ffion Lewis (Nags Head), Joe Jones (Carden Park Hotel), Steffan Davies (Gidleigh Park), Sion Roberts (Pollen Street Social); Harry Paynter-Roberts (Castle Hotel); and Arron Tye (Shared Olive). The team was coached by Michael Evans, a lecturer at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
Junior Welsh team
They served:
• Salmon and crab with beetroot, horseradish cream, pea shoots and crispy salad
• Roasted Welsh fillet, braised beef cheek ravioli, baby gem lettuce, Chantaney carrots, celeriac and Madeira jus
• Granny Smith apple frangipane and compote, spiced vanilla syrup, poached Golden Delicious apple, sorbet and mousse and apple and blackberry coulis
Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins said: "With a number of the team members competing at the highest level for the first time, the medal total is an excellent result. Some countries did not win a medal in the competition, which puts our achievement into perspective.
"The junior team had an exceptional competition and it shows that we have very talented young chefs who are coming through to compete for places in the senior team in the future. The international experience that they have gained will be invaluable to their progression. For the senior chefs, it's a relatively new team which has great potential."
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