Celtic Manor Chef Celebrates Double success in Prestigious National Awards at ICC Wales
A chef from the Celtic Manor Resort is celebrating double success after finishing as runner-up in two prestigious national competitions held at ICC Wales.
Rebekah Wright, senior sous chef at Celtic Manor’s PAD Asian restaurant, won a silver medal as her three-course meal was judged in second place in the National Chef of Wales final at the Welsh International Culinary Championships.
The only female chef among 10 finalists, Rebekah was also the only contestant to go on to compete for a second title in the Vegan Chef of Wales competition, where she had to prepare another complex three-course meal in pressurised conditions against the clock just two days later.
The hard work paid off as she claimed another second place with her entry graded at gold medal standard in the vegan competition on Wednesday 22nd January, which concluded three days of exciting competition at ICC Wales.
“I’m honestly astounded,” she said after collecting her medals at a gala dinner awards ceremony. “I didn’t believe in a million years I could finish as high as second in the National Chef of Wales competition against so many talented chefs.
“As the names of the other chefs were being read out (in reverse order), my heart was just racing. I just wanted to improve on the bronze medal standard I achieved last year and I think I felt a lot more comfortable competing for a second year, having gained that experience. To get two second places and achieve silver and gold medal standards feels amazing.”
In the Chef of Wales final, the contestants were given three hours to cook three courses for 12 diners. Rebekah’s starter was beetroot, toasted cashew, picked blackberries, balsamic gel and walnut maple granola; followed by a main course of mustard and peppercorn glazed Welsh steak, braised Welsh short rib and Caerphilly cheese tartlet, potato espuma, leek dust and mustard jus. Dessert was inspired by the flavour profile of sponsor Cygnet Gin and featured honey cake, pink peppercorn tuille, cardamom sable, textures of grapefruit, gin syrup and white chocolate cremeux.
Fellow Celtic Manor competitor Matthew Owen (head chef at Steak on Six) took third place and a bronze medal in the Chef of Wales final and Byron Burns (senior sous chef at Rafters) was third in the Vegan Chef contest.
In all, nine chefs from the Celtic Collection were selected to cook off in the finals at the championships organised by the Culinary Association of Wales. Ionut Rosca, Patrick Millard, Pratik Bhandarkar and Gareth Jenkins competed in the Chef of Wales final while Niruth Wijetunga and Gold Ayinia-Adeyem took part in a third competition, the Junior Chef of Wales final.
The National Chef of Wales winner was Sam Everton, a catering lecturer at Coleg Ceredigion, Cardigan, who became only the second chef to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales titles in consecutive years.
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