The Academy gets set for Culinary Olympics
Junior chefs paired with mentors from the Craft Guild of Chef's Culinary Panel last week at Westminster Kingsway College to highlight the significance of their next biggest competition in a chef's calendar – the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.
Members of the press joined the panel and their sponsors – Brakes, Electrolux Professional, Essential Cuisine and Gourmet Classic – for a German breakfast which was then followed by a presentation hosted by Nick Vadis, National Chairman of the Craft Guild.
Vadis began by explaining the importance of our chefs in today's society: "Eating out is said to be worth £36.6 billion pounds by 2012, which explains why chefs are under huge pressure to meet rising customer expectations. Therefore it is absolutely key that we bring on chefs with the skills, talent and calibre to fly the flag at the Olympics."
The Culinary Olympics, which is in its 22nd year, and takes place every four years, will see over 30 countries competing in the international challenge.
Junior members selected to compete for the Academy will receive a badge and jacket to show they have the Craft Guild's backing. They will also be accompanied by members of the panel who will be monitoring and advising the students.
There are several levels of achievement to work towards, from Junior Academy Member to Master of the Academy. Each carries its own certification and medal of recognition.
Andy Twells, culinary team captain, who is currently building up a team for the Academy's first Culinary Olympics event, introduced some members of his team, who will be either competing at the Olympics or will be acting as a mentor – Mark Hill, Bob Brown, Matt Owens, Vince Cotton, Christopher Basten, Dennis Mwakula, Bernhard Engelhardt, and Simon Stocker.
Some of the awards won by these panel members include the Second Best Patisserie Chef Award in the world in 2006, achieved by Matt Owens, Vince Cotton, who has scooped the Chef of the Year title this year, and Dennis Mwakulua who was crowned the London Chef of the Year in 2007.
Twells commented on what his aims were when introducing the Academy: "We wanted to put an infrastructure in place for people to compete at major national and international culinary events and provide them with the information they need to do so and the mentorship they'll need to succeed."
"It's about giving people a competitive edge and providing people with the skills that we have honed over the years that aren't available to them. We have all learnt by our mistakes, therefore our aim is to stop these young chefs making the same ones."
He added: "We want to ensure that in years to come, there will be a plentiful supply of well-trained competitors and the UK continues to grow as a culinary force to be reckoned with. We want to attract passionate young chefs looking for an arena to prove their skills who feel they could bring even more flavour to Britain's catering industry."
Chef Christopher Basten, from London County Hall, explained how being part of the panel benefits him and his business: "For me, it is a good recruitment tool. If I see a student that has talent, I want them to work for me. The competition gives young chefs a sharp edge."
From the sponsors point of view, Andrew Jones, managing director of Electrolux Professional, explained his reasons behind supporting the Academy: "I have a big fear of skills not getting through. To me, getting youngsters to the top level is essential to our skills sector."
Other forthcoming competitions and events the culinary team is involved with are Hospitality, (Birmingham), Wessex Salon, (Bournemouth), Norwegian Seafood Challenge, (London), Major Mini Series, (nationwide), and the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate awards, (London).
Further information of how to become a member of the panel and the benefits of joining the Academy can be found by logging onto www.craftguildofchefs.org
Words: Maria Bracken
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