A team of chefs from Mid Wales has put the region on the map by winning the prestigious Battle of the Dragon competition at the nation’s top culinary event.
Led by experienced Welsh National Culinary Team member Nick Davies, chef patron of the Lion Hotel,Llandinam, the team held off a strong challenge from North and South Wales regions to lift the Dragon Trophy.
Culinary Association of Wales president Colin Gray revealed that just a couple of points had separated the teams after three days of competition at the 20th Welsh International Culinary Championships at Coleg Llandrillo, Rhos-on-Sea. The championships are sponsored jointly by the Welsh Government, Unilever Food Solutions and Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales.
Joining captain Davies in the Mid Wales team were former National Chef of Wales champion Neil Roberts, chef patron of the Waggon and Horses,Newtown, Kelly Thomas from Lampeter and Stephen Griffiths from Welshpool, who both work for Cambrian Training Company and apprentice chefs Rhiannon Morris, 17 from the Lion Hotel,Llandinam and Jacob Sampson, 18, from the Raven Inn,Welshpool. Team manager was Gareth Johns, co-owner of the Wynnstay Hotel,Machynlleth.
Each team served up a three course menu for 90 diners. Mid Wales opened with a starter of pressed sewin(Sea trout) and leek terrine, creamed Cardigan Bay shellfish tartlet, citrus hollandaise, pickled fennel and cucumber salad and tomato paprika ketchup.
Main course was rump of Welsh Lamb, spiced ginger lamb rissole, creamed Savoy cabbage, roast butternut squash,HalenMônsmoked mash, offal fritter and shallot elderberry jus. Dessert was chocolate Penderyn Whisky truffle delice, passion fruit sorbet, cranberry sherbet, orange curd cinnamon doughnut and mango salsa.
Mr Davies heaped praise on his teammates, especially the two apprentices. “I couldn’t believe how well they soaked up the pressure and didn’t flinch, as everything went like clockwork in the kitchen,” he said. “Where we came into our own was truly working as a team. We all worked on the three dishes and I think that paid dividends.
“This victory is recognition that Mid Wales is not a culinary dessert. All the big hotels might be in South and North Wales, but there are some very good chefs here in Mid Wales and the future looks bright with the emerging talent.
“It was fantastic to have 18 chefs from within Wales competing, which augurs well for the future. We hope to organise a series of gourmet dinners in Mid Wales to engage more chefs, to network and to raise the skills level within the region.”
The judges took two hours to come up with the winner. “Most of the points were for taste and flavour and all the team scores were very similar,” said Mr Gray, owner of Capital Cuisine in Cardiff.
This year, there was a public element to the judging. All the people who sat down to lunch over the three days were invited on complete a scorecard and their votes were combined with those of the judging panel to decide the winner.
“The public vote was quite close to the judges’ scores and the combined verdict was that Mid Wales just pipped it,” added Mr Gray. “The quality of the food over the three days was excellent, which was recognised in the awarding of gold medals to the three teams.
“It was an amazing result for Mid Wales, which was restored as a region of the Culinary Association of Wales last summer.”
The Culinary Association of Wales broke with tradition this year by inviting the three regional teams to compete for the Dragon Trophy to showcase the best of Welsh cuisine. In previous years, two international teams have been invited to compete against Wales in the contest.
“The competition has caused so much public interest within the regions and there has been great camaraderie between the teams,” added Mr Gray. “We now plan to capitalise on this positivity to take the association forward.”
He was delighted to introduce emerging chefs to the competition arena, as each team had to include at least two members under the age of 23. “Having had a taste for competition, I hope these young chefs will want to continue,” he said.
North Wales began the contest on Tuesday, cooking a menu using Welsh Beef as the main course. The team was captained by TobyBeevers, co-owner ofKokonoir,Broughton. His teammates were Danny Burke, owner of Shared Olive, Hawarden, Hefin Roberts, head chef and Ioan Evans from Ye Olde Bull’s Head Inn,Beaumaris, Sally Owens, lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo, Rhos-on-Sea and Chris Tull, Signatures Restaurant,Aberconwy.
South Wales completed the line-up on Thursday, cooking Welsh pork as the main course. The team, captained by Trevor Jones, executive chef at Custom House,Penarth,comprised five members from the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, including executive head chef Michael Bates,who is also chef patron at White Hart Village Inn,Llangybi, executive pastry chef Karl Jones-Hughes, chef Simon Crockford and commis chefs Jonathan Pring and Ffion Lewis.
For more information please contact Colin Gray, Culinary Association of Wales president, on 02920 851997 or 07957 422546 or Duncan Foulkes, press officer, on 01686 650818.
