Junior Culinary Team of Wales captain Calum Smith has added the Junior Chef of Wales title to his growing list of honours.
Calum, who works at Shrewsbury School for Independents at Sodexo, clinched the title after beating three rival chefs in the final at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) yesterday (Wednesday).
He will be automatically seeded into the UK semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year contest and represent Wales in the Young Chef Final at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo, which is being hosted by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales).
The WICC was organised by the CAW and held at ICC Wales over three days, attracting around 150 chefs and front of house staff and learners. This year, the event combined the Castell Howell Welsh Food and Drink Show.
“I am elated,” said Calum. “The pressure was amazing because everyone was expecting me to be the front runner and I am just glad that I delivered.
“I must thank the people at Shrewsbury School and Sodexo for all their support, without which none of this would have been possible.
“Winning this competition means everything for my family and my self-pride. It’s a massive achievement to be the winner in my age bracket and in my craft.”
Calum’s winning menu included vegan burrito pannacotta, chilled beetroot and Cygnet Gin, purple beetroot chutney, lemon salted yellow beetroot, petit blackberries and blackberry puree, savoury granola and nasturtiums as a starter.
His main course was Chirk Farm Trout, avocado mousse, trout tartlet, hot smoked trout and herb pasta, Cygnet Gin compressed cucumber, tenderstem broccoli with chervil emulsion and crispy seaweed, dulce and white castle rose sauce.
Dessert was dark chocolate and raisin financier, sesame tuille, raisins soaked in Barti rum, salted chocolate and rum sauce and vanilla and cream cheese espuma.
Runner up was Katie Duffy who works at The Halfway, Llanelli, who was third last year, third was Sudam Wijetunga, from Newport, who works for the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, and fourth was Gold Ayinia-Adeyemi, from Newport who works for the Celtic Manor Resort.
The chefs were given two-and-a-half hours to cook a three course pescatarian meal for six diners with a plant-based starter suitable for a vegan diet, a main course featuring Chirk Farm Trout and a dessert including one hot and one chocolate element. The competition was sponsored by Cygnet Gin.
Sponsors of the WICC are Castell Howell, Cambrian Training Company, Roller Grill UK, MCS Technical Products, Capital Cuisine, Churchill, Cygnet Gin, Henley Bridge, Food and Drink Wales, Kentaur, City & Guilds UK, Essential Cuisine, Ecolab, Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales, Terry’s Patisserie Ltd, Willo Game, Fresh & Tasty Microgreens, Radnor Hills, Robot Coupe and Friedr Dick GmbH & Co.
Junior Chef of Wales finalists’ menus:
Duffy’s menu opened with a starter of crispy potato rosti, wild mushrooms, pickled red onions, guacamole and garlic aioli. Her main course was buttery pan fried trout, cauliflower puree, apple and fennel salad, beetroot dust and caviar. Dessert was chocolate Basque cheesecake, granola, namelaka, candied pecans and toffee sauce.
Gold’s starter was vegan bao buns filled with slices of cucumber and carrots and red and white cabbage soaked in red pickling liquor. Her main course was trout accompanied by spicy pilaf rice with gem lettuce and garlic and herb sauce. Dessert was marble chocolate cake accompanied with tuille, custard and chocolate mousse.
Wijetunga’s menu opened with red beetroot, pickled candy beetroot and golden beetroot, balsamic drizzled tomato and red onion, pea puree and vegan feta cheese. His main course was pan fried and poached trout fillets, crispy potato fondant, charred confit leeks, spinach, caramelised onion and leek puree with beurre blank. Dessert was chocolate lava cake, Penderyn Peated Welsh Whisky with whipped cream, raspberry coulis and hazelnut crumble.
