Talented Welsh Junior Chefs Preparing for the Culinary World Cup

Food & Drink , 13th October 2022

A team of talented, young chefs will be flying the Welsh flag with pride at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in November.

The Junior Culinary Team Wales will be competing against 15 other teams from around the world at the high profile culinary event, which runs from November 26-30.

The competition comprises two different elements: a Restaurant of Nations hot kitchen when teams must prepare a three-course menu 70 people and a ‘Table of Fire’ which will see teams prepare four different kinds of cold and hot finger food, a cold, festive fish or seafood platter, hot main courses and dessert for 12 people.

Wales presents its ‘Table of Fire’ on Sunday, November 27 before heading into the hot kitchen the following Tuesday.

Junior Culinary Team Wales is managed by Michael Evans, a lecturer at the Grŵp Llandrillo Menai campus in Rhos-on-Sea campus and coached by Danny Burke, co-owner of Olive Tree Catering, Runcorn and former Senior Culinary Team Wales captain.

The team is captained by Calum Smith who is pastry chef at a private school in Shrewsbury, who is joined by Harry Paynter-Roberts, sous chef at Carden Park Hotel and Spa, near Chester, Sion Hughes, head chef a The Spa at Carden Park Hotel, Stephanie Belcher, chef de partie at Coast, Saundersfoot, Harry Osborne, Head Chef at the Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy and Jay Rees, who is studying for a degree at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai. Both Sion and Harry Osborne are former Junior Chef of Wales winners.

Squad members, who will be supporting the team in Luxembourg, are Amira Milner from Signatures Restaurant, Conwy, Heather Spencer, commis chef at Links Hotel, Llandudno and Pippa Taylor, who is completing a Culinary Arts Degree at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai campus in Rhos-on-Sea.

“The squad shows a good blend of skills, knowledge and youth,”

said Michael.

“Their development over the last 12 months has been fantastic at every practice and they are raising the bar in terms of their work ethic and dishes produced.

“We are arranging a series of training weekends and practise lunches and dinners to perfect the dishes in the lead up to the Culinary World Cup.

“Our mission is to keep developing young Welsh chefs who will hopefully progress into the Senior Culinary Team Wales in the future.”

Graham Tinsley, MBE, the Culinary Association of Wales’ culinary director, said:

“The junior team has great potential because the chefs are very dedicated, are practising hard and have created some great dishes.

“They have gelled together really well under the leadership of Mike, who is a good organiser and Danny, who is a very good chef with a lot of competition experience.”

The Culinary Association of Wales is sponsored by Food and Drink Wales, Castell Howell, Churchill, Major International, Dick Knives, MCS Tech Products, Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Cambrian Training Company, Roller Grill and Ecolab.

Bydd tîm o gogyddion ifanc dawnus yn chwifio baner Cymru gyda balchder yng Nghwpan y Byd Coginio yn Lwcsembwrg ym mis Tachwedd.

Bydd Tîm Coginio Ieuenctid Cymru yn cystadlu yn erbyn 15 tîm arall o bob rhan o'r byd yn yr ornest goginio fawreddog, a gynhelir rhwng Tachwedd 26 a 30.

Mae dwy elfen wahanol i’r gystadleuaeth: cegin boeth Bwyty’r Cenhedloedd lle mae’n rhaid i dimau baratoi pryd tri chwrs i 70 o bobl a ‘Bwrdd Tân’ lle bydd y timau’n paratoi pedwar math gwahanol o fwyd bys a bawd oer a phoeth; platiaid oer, Nadoligaidd, o bysgod neu fwyd môr; prif gyrsiau poeth a phwdin i 12 o bobl.

Bydd Cymru yn cyflwyno ei ‘Bwrdd Tân’ ddydd Sul, Tachwedd 27 cyn mynd i mewn i’r gegin boeth y dydd Mawrth wedyn.

Rheolwr Tîm Coginio Ieuenctid Cymru yw Michael Evans, darlithydd ar gampws Grŵp Llandrillo Menai yn Llandrillo-yn-Rhos a'r hyfforddwr yw Danny Burke, cydberchennog Olive Tree Catering, Runcorn a chyn gapten Tîm Coginio Hŷn Cymru.

Capten y tîm yw Calum Smith sy’n chef cynnyrch crwst mewn ysgol breifat yn Amwythig, a’r aelodau eraill yw Harry Paynter-Roberts, sous chef yn y Carden Park Hotel and Spa, ger Caer, Sion Hughes, pen-cogydd yn The Spa at Carden Park Hotel, Stephanie Belcher, chef de partie yn Coast, Saundersfoot, Harry Osborne, o’r Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy a Jay Rees, sy’n astudio am radd gyda Grŵp Llandrillo Menai. Mae Sion a Harry Osborne wedi ennill cystadleuaeth Cogydd Ifanc Cymru cyn hyn.

Aelodau’r garfan a fydd yn cefnogi’r tîm yn Lwcsembwrg yw Amira Milner o Signatures Restaurant, Conwy, Heather Spencer, commis chef yn y Links Hotel, Llandudno a Pippa Taylor, sy’n gwneud gradd yn y Celfyddydau Coginio ar gampws Grŵp Llandrillo Menai yn Llandrillo-yn-Rhos.

“Mae yna gyfuniad da o sgiliau, gwybodaeth ac ieuenctid yn y garfan,”

meddai Michael.

“Mae eu datblygiad dros y 12 mis diwethaf wedi bod yn wych ym mhob ymarfer ac maen nhw’n codi’r safon o hyd o ran eu hymdrech a'r prydau y maen nhw'n eu cynhyrchu.

“Rydyn ni'n trefnu cyfres o benwythnosau hyfforddi a phrydau ymarfer er mwyn perffeithio’r prydau yn y cyfnod cyn Cwpan y Byd Coginio.

“Ein cenhadaeth yw dal i ddatblygu cogyddion ifanc yng Nghymru a fydd, gobeithio, yn symud ymlaen i Dîm Coginio Uwch Cymru yn y dyfodol.””

Dywedodd Graham Tinsley, MBE, cyfarwyddwr coginio Cymdeithas Goginio Cymru:

“Mae gan y tîm ieuenctid botensial mawr oherwydd mae’r cogyddion yn ymroddedig iawn, yn ymarfer yn galed ac wedi creu prydau gwych.

“Maen nhw'n cydweithio'n dda iawn o dan arweiniad Mike, sy’n drefnydd da, a Danny, sy’n gogydd ardderchog gyda llawer o brofiad o gystadlu.”

Noddir Cymdeithas Goginio Cymru gan Bwyd a Diod Cymru, Castel Howell, Churchill, Major International, Dick Knives, MCS Tech Products, Hybu Cig Cymru, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Cwmni Hyfforddiant Cambrian, Roller Grill ac Ecolab.