Welsh chefs go for gold

A team of two Welsh chefs were on top form as they cooked up gold medals at the Northern European final of the Global Chef Challenge in Dublin earlier this week.

Representing the Welsh Culinary Association Nick Davies from Llanidloes and Kelly Thomas from Lampeter came within a couple of points of winning but eventually had to settle for second place behind Norway. Wales and Norway were the only countries to be awarded gold medals.

Davies, a director of Cambrian Training Company in Welshpool and his commis chef Kelly Thomas did however have the consolation of winning the hygiene competition, which ran alongside the main contest.

Norway now go through to the final of the prestigious competition at the World Association of Chefs' Societies' World Congress in Santiago in 2010, where the winner will collect 12,000 Euros prize money.

The chefs from across Northern Europe were given a basket of ingredients from which to cook a four course meal for 12 people in eight and a half hours.

Davies and Thomas opted for a starter of pressed terrine of chicken with a chicken broth followed by a medallion of herb infused salmon with a tortellini of wild mushrooms and spinach.

The main course was loin of pork with a cider sauce, spiced parsnips, braised sage potato and tian or pork with apricot and apple. The dessert trio was citrus brulee, warm plum and almond tart, Baileys and chocolate ice cream with strawberry compote.

Davies commented on how he felt during the challenge: "We were very focused and cooked well but were battling against the time throughout. It is probably the toughest competition I have ever cooked in.

 "I was shaking with excitement as the results were announced because I thought we had won it when only Norway and Wales were left. There was only a matter of a couple of points in it and we are proud to have got so close to winning."

The challenge took place on Tuesday 11 March.

Words: Maria Bracken

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