Welsh chefs ready for battle for the Dragon cook-off

The top chefs in Wales will be out to defend the Dragon Trophy when they compete on the final day of the Battle for the Dragon contest tomorrow (Thursday).

Members of the Welsh National Culinary Team know exactly what they have to do after seeing Italy compete on Tuesday and Germany today at the Welsh International Culinary Championships hosted by Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Rhos on Sea.

The Battle for the Dragon contest is one of the showpiece events at the championships, which are organised by the Welsh Culinary Association and sponsored jointly by the Welsh Government, Unilever Food Solutions and Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales.

It’s an important year for all three national teams, with the forthcoming Culinary Olympics, the world’s premier contest for chefs, being hosted by Germany in October.

Germany won the Dragon Trophy with a gold medal in 2006, beating Wales and France, while Italy collected a bronze medal in 2008 when Sweden edged out the host nation. Wales won the trophy last year.

Italy’s top chefs were first in the kitchen on St Valentine’s Day, cooking a three-course lunch for 80 people with Welsh Lamb as the main course. Germany cooked Welsh Pork as their main course today and the Welsh National Culinary Team completes the line-up tomorrow, cooking Welsh Beef as their main course.

The Welsh National Culinary Team, captained by Wayne Roberts, includes David Kelman, executive head chef at the Ellenborough Park Hotel, Cheltenham, Toby Beevers, head chef Hawarden Farm Shop, Sally Owens, lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Rhos on Sea, Dion Jones, senior chef de partie at Carden Park Country Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa near Chester and Christopher Owen, senior sous chef at The Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy.

Owen goes into the contest on a high, having won the National Chef of Wales title and £2,000 prizemoney on his fifth wedding anniversary yesterday.

The Welsh team will be cooking a starter of terrine of seafood and smoked salmon, pan-fried scallop with seaweed and watermelon. Main course is fillet, braised tongue tartlette and tian of Welsh Beef, warm artichoke gel and vegetables of the season. Dessert is winter raspberry and chocolate delice, conference pear soufflé and cocoa nib ice cream.

The Welsh National Culinary Team is sponsored by the Welsh Government, C&C Catering Equipment Ltd, Brakes, Unilever Foodsolutions UK, Villeroy and Boch and Friedr. Dick, Germany.

Designed to celebrate the nation's culinary skills and rich variety of quality food, the Welsh International Culinary Championships is a mouthwatering event packed with exciting competitions for learner, junior and senior chefs and waiting staff.

Young chefs and waiting staff are attracted from colleges across Wales and England, whilst the competitions also provide a national platform for junior and senior chefs to demonstrate their skills.