THE Junior Culinary Team Wales is celebrating after winning silver and bronze medals at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg.

Two-thirds of the squad is made up of current or ex-Grŵp Llandrillo Menai hospitality and catering students.

The talented young chefs flew the Welsh flag with pride, adding the silver medal in the Restaurant of Nations hot kitchen to the bronze medal awarded in the Table of Fire element, which took place earlier in the global competition.

The team, comprising young chefs from across Wales and the border, cooked up a storm, competing against 15 other teams from around the world at the high-profile culinary event.

The Table of Fire section saw the team prepare four different kinds of cold and hot finger food, a cold, festive fish or seafood platter, and hot main courses and dessert for 12 people.

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They completed their competition in the Restaurant of Nations, where they were tasked with preparing and cooking a three-course menu for 70 people.

The Junior Culinary Team Wales is managed by Michael Kirkham-Evans, a lecturer at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhos-on-Sea campus.

The team includes ex-Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students Harry Paynter-Roberts, sous chef at Carden Park Hotel and Spa near Chester, and Harry Osborne, head chef at the Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy, Sion Hughes, head chef at the Spa at Carden Park Hotel, Stephanie Belcher, chef de partie at Coast, Saundersfoot, and Jay Rees, who is currently studying for a degree at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhos-on-Sea campus.

Squad members supporting the team in Luxembourg were: Amira Milner from Signatures Restaurant, Conwy; Heather Spencer, commis chef at Links Hotel, Llandudno, and Pippa Taylor - who are all current Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students.

Michael Kirkham-Evans said: “The medal haul was beyond our dreams. The squad showed a good blend of skills, knowledge and youth.

“Their development over the last 12 months has been remarkable, and they are raising the bar in terms of their work ethic and quality of dishes produced.”

Coach Danny Burke said: “We were all thrilled with the medals.

“When you consider the inexperience in the team - some chefs were competing at this level for the first time – and the fact that they were competing against the best in the world, I think they have exceeded expectations.”

Captain Calum Smith praised the hard work by everybody involved with the team.

“Overall, we are delighted to win silver and bronze medals. This is a massive achievement for our inexperienced team and for Wales,” he said.

“It was my second competition as captain and the knowledge I have gained has put the fire in my belly to get what we all want - a gold medal at the Culinary Olympics in 2024.”