GARETH BALE and the Wales squad are not the only Welsh team competing in a World Cup this winter.

A team of talented, young Welsh chefs are in Luxembourg preparing to cook up a storm at the Culinary World Cup which begins this weekend.

The Junior Culinary Team Wales comprises of young chefs from across the country, and they will be competing against 15 other teams from around the world at the high profile culinary event.

The competition comprises two different elements: a Restaurant of Nations hot kitchen when teams must prepare a three-course menu for 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 will present its ‘Table of Fire’ on Sunday, November 27 before heading into the hot kitchen the following Tuesday.

The Junior Culinary Team Wales is managed by Michael Kirkham-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 in Runcorn.

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The team is captained by Calum Smith, a pastry chef at Shrewsbury School, who is joined by Harry Paynter-Roberts, sous chef at Carden Park Hotel and Spa, near Wrexham, Sion Hughes, head chef 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.

Supporting the team in Luxembourg are squad members, 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.

Calum Smith said: “I am delighted to be captaining Wales in only my second major international competition.

The Leader:

“It means a-lot to me and to my family.

“Since competing for Wales at the Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart in 2020, it has been an exciting 18 months’ practicing.

"It’s a young team, with a lot of different experience across the country, and we are hoping that we can deliver in both the Restaurant of Nations and the Table of Fire."

Manager, Michael Kirkham-Evans added: "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.

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