Welsh chef prepares for Global Challenge

Welsh chef Nick Davies is preparing to take on the best in Northern Europe for a place in the Global Chef Challenge final in Chile next year.

The winner of this contest, which culminates at the World Association of Chefs' Societies' World Congress in Santiago in 2010, will be recognised as the world's best chef and will walk away with 12,000 Euros prize money.

The journey for Davies, a director of Cambrian Training Company in Welshpool, will begin in Dublin on 9 and 10 February.

The talented chef, who has been selected by the Welsh Culinary Association to represent Wales for the second time in the Northern Europe heat, is determined to do much better this year. He will be supported by mentor Arwyn Watkins, managing director of Cambrian Training Company and commis chef Kelly Thomas from Lampeter, who has worked with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and is currently home on leave from France.

Davies will up against 15 chefs from across Northern Europe, who will each be given a basket of ingredients from which to cook a four course meal for 12 people in eight and a half hours.

The only ingredients the chefs know will be included in the basket are a rack of Irish pork, chicken, whole fresh salmon and chocolate. They will have an hour to check the ingredients, write a menu and select wines and liqueurs for their dishes.

Davies commented: "The experience of competing in the inaugural competition in Estonia was superb and there was not much between the top eight chefs. I know where I went wrong last time and I am confident that I can do better in Dublin, but I'll have to be at my best.

"I plan to stick to the ingredients that I know and cook neat, precise dishes with vibrant colours and complementary flavours."

Davies is being sponsored by the Welsh Culinary Association, Stena Line and Cambrian Training Company.

Words: Maria Bracken

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