Craft Food Artisan - Autumn Issue

Autumn Edition ‘23

President’s Welcome As we head towards the final quarter of 2023 with a great deal to look forward to in 2024, I still have a significant number of actions on my to do list.

We have the launch of our 2024 National and Junior Chef Competitions waiting to be signed off and published. The schedule for the Welsh International Culinary Championships incorporating the Skills Competition Wales finals, the Craft Butcher of the Year individual skills competitions and the launch of our first ever Green Chef competition.

Bringing all these competitions together to a brandnew high-profile venue for the Culinary Association of Wales at ICC Wales in Newport is not only a significant milestone in our 30-year history it is a significant challenge and presents exciting opportunities.

The aim is to create a three-day Hospitality Hub open to the trade and the public giving our business partners the opportunity to showcase their products, search for future talent and build the relationships with business as we continue on the journey to host the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 The Welsh International Culinary Championships will be held on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th January 2024 with an industry awards dinner on Wednesday 24th January where all of our winners will be announced.

Please make sure that the Welsh International Culinary Championships is in your diary – something exciting to look forward to in early 2024.

The Home Nations (H4) Board made up of two representatives from the Panel of Chefs Ireland, The

Federation of Chefs Scotland, The British Culinary Federation and The Culinary Association of Wales met early in October 2023 in Dublin. One of the significant outcomes from that meeting was to establish an annual Charity Dinner where a team of chefs from each country will take the lead on each course and the venue will be hosted by each country in turn, starting with the British Culinary Federation with a venue in England. This is a very exciting outcome and we hope that this will build and foster a closer working relationship between these four-member associations of Worldchefs the Home Nations (H4).

H4 also unanimously agreed to continue to take forward the aims and objectives of the British Food Trust and support it with a nominated trustee from each of the organisations. This will provide the platform to use this trust as the vehicle to deliver the annual Charity Dinner promoting skills and food.

If you are reading this magazine and you are not a registered member of the Culinary Association of Wales, please visit our website and sign up for our free membership. If you are a member and you want to know how you can help us deliver our ambitions, please get in touch. If you are reading this as a business leader and you would like to see your brand and product feature within our magazine, one of our key membership communication assets then please contact me directly.

Arwyn Watkins OBE president@culinaryassociation.wales

Contents News Katherine the Great

Katherine Jenkins’ Cygnet is CAW’s new gin partner

Join the Journey CAW is en route to a successful WCC26

In it to Win it

Sion Hughes is going for Gold at Global Chef 24

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3 4 6 8

Apprenticeships Work!

Employers and employees reap the rewards

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Restaurant Reviews

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Earn and Learn

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Award-winners Sheeps and Leeks and Vines live up to expectations

Youngsters master their craft at Chartists 1770

www.culinaryassociation.wales

News Mid Wales Autumn Fayre bigger and better than ever

The Celtic Collection Achieves 100th Apprentice Milestone

Talented chefs from across Wales demonstrated their culinary skills at the Mid Wales Autumn Fayre in the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells on October 7 and 8 in a packed programme of attractions for all the family.

The Celtic Collection, comprising a luxury resort, hotels and lodges across South Wales, has just enrolled its 100th active apprentice with the country’s leading provider of apprenticeships to the hospitality industry, Cambrian Training Company.

TV cook specialist Nerys Howell, who has travelled the world promoting Welsh food and drink, showcased recipes from her bilingual book Bwyd Cymru yn ei Dymor/ Welsh Food by Season. Recipes included Laver Breakfast Burgers and Pembrokeshire Potato, Apple and Bacon Salad.

Daniel Wright, 21, who works at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport said: “Becoming an apprentice chef has been a transformative journey. The excitement of being the 100th apprentice fuels my passion even more.”

Jamie Tully, globetrotting Executive Chef at Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen in Llanidloes, demonstrated his Bacon and Laver Bread Risotto while one of his apprentice chefs, Gabrielle Wilson, who will be competing in the WorldSkills UK finals in November, made Chocolate Cremeux.

Training officers from Cambrian Training Company were also demonstrating culinary arts techniques and skills over the weekend. In his sugar showpiece craft and skills demonstration, William Richards used the best of Welsh produce to create a plated dessert, while Andrew Addis-Fuller showed visitors how to create the perfect lunch to wow friends and family in his pies, plates and pastry demonstration.

Celebrating and promoting Welsh food and drink, Mid Wales Autumn Fayre featured more than 50 Welsh artisan food and drink stalls, where visitors could taste and buy the best locally made Welsh produce.

Family attractions also included 45 Welsh arts and crafts stalls, a Kid’s Zone featuring lots of activities, and a showcase of more than 150 classic cars, bikes and vintage tractors and over 100 trucks including showcase trucks where visitors chose best in class winners. A Cambrian Training Company’s Careers Zone featuring Have a Go equipment for visitors to learn more about different jobs, also provided information about the range of apprenticeships available to those starting or wishing to upskill and develop their careers.

WORLDCHEFS CONGRESS & EXPO 20-25 OCTOBER 2024

Culinary Horizons:

Designing Our Future SINGAPORE

Nerys Howell

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said: “Apprenticeships can help futureproof, motivate and diversify a workforce by providing people with the opportunity to gain high-quality vocational skills. They are also crucial to our ambitious vision for a Wales where no one is held back.”

The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.

Welsh Butchers Make the Cut The World Butchers’ Challenge is a butchery competition of epic proportions, it’s often referred to as the ‘Olympics of Meat’.

Team Wales have secured their place in 2025 as well as the support from KEPAK Merthyr with squad training.

Before the squad can develop their training plan, they have to secure the squad members, if there are any Craft Butchers in Wales that would like to be involved and represent their country on the world stage in their craft then in the first instance please contact craig.holly@cambriantraining.com

Jamie Tully

If you could support the Team Wales to compete on the world stage in Paris, then please in the first instance contact Arwyn Watkins OBE president@culinaryassociation.wales

GET READY FOR WORLDCHEFS CONGRESS & EXPO 2024

worldchefscongress.org

www.culinaryassociation.wales

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Katherine Jenkins Joins CAW’s Journey to WCC26

Nick Payne, Cygnet Gin’s MD, explains why and how Katherine Jenkins’ gin company is helping CAW Can you tell us a little about Cygnet?

The Cygnet Distillery was founded by the UK’s most successful classical singer Katherine Jenkins OBE and artist and social-impact filmmaker Andrew Levitas in 2022. Cygnet’s home can be found just six miles down the road from where Katherine grew up in Swansea and was born from the desire to break the mould in a traditionally male-dominated spirits industry. As a gin aficionado, Katherine has worked closely with husband-and-wife master distiller team Aster & Chris Sadler, using the finest botanicals, manuka honey and pure Welsh water to create a ‘best in glass’ experience.

Cygnet Distillery currently offers two delicious products: Cygnet Welsh Dry and Cygnet 22.

How did Katherine get involved and what was the appeal?

Katherine comes from a family of dedicated gin lovers, however when she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, she was taught about ‘clean’ drinks for her voice and sadly, back in 1998, Gin & Tonics didn’t fall into the ‘safe for singing’ category.

Knowing her favourite tipple, she always dreamed of one day creating an ultra-clean, high end and highquality gin that even her singing teacher would be proud of!

How’s it gone so far and what are her ambitions for the business?

The reception to Cygnet Welsh Dry and Cygnet 22 has been phenomenal. Both products sold out within a week of the initial launch, and since then we have been making waves in both the on and off-trade, stocking in the likes of Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, John Lewis and many premium bars, restaurants and clubs across the UK. As with her singing, Katherine proudly flies the flag for Wales around the world and she sees this as another chance to show the passion, quality and craftmanship coming out of her homeland.

The ambition is to make Cygnet a globally recognised brand, whilst remaining true to its Welsh roots and it’s exciting to see so much interest already reaching us from all around the world.

What are Cygnet’s values and how do they overlap with those of CAW? Cygnet’s brand pillars are Welsh ownership, sustainability, culture, charity, support for our military, female empowerment. We feel as though all of our brand pillars overlap with CAW, especially with regard to:

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Sustainability - Cygnet is dedicated to providing consumers with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients which are sourced responsibly from local suppliers. Working closely with co-founder and creative genius Eric Villency, the team designed a bottle that weighs up to 50% less than the average spirits bottle, meaning far less raw materials and energy are required in both production and transportation. Both recyclable and refillable, the Cygnet 22 is a bottle for life with regeneration and upcycling capabilities intrinsic to the design and brand ethos, encouraging consumers to re-use as a water carafe, a striking single stem vase, and more.

Charity - As a female founder, Katherine is passionate about connecting with, supporting and empowering women. Cygnet is also committed to supporting charities close to the brand’s heart each year.

Culture & Creativity - Creativity is at the heart of Cygnet Gin, with both our founders taking inspiration from their jobs in the arts to influence the brand’s identity and journey.

And finally, being Welsh owned and focused.

Although it’s early in the relationship, what can you tell us about how Cygnet and CAW will be working together as we head towards WCC26?

We are thrilled to announce that Cygnet will be the official gin partner of the CAW and we will be supporting and working in lockstep with the organisation as it prepares to host the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 at the ICCWales. Whilst we don’t want to give too much away just yet, we’re working on something uniquely special. Delegates can look forward to Cygnet gin drinks and cocktail receptions, Cygnet gin as a key ingredient in some of the heats, and some unexpected surprises along the way!

What’s the ultimate goal of your association with CAW? Cygnet Distillery is a Welsh brand, led by Welsh superstar Katherine Jenkins, who is passionate about promoting the magic of her home country. By partnering with CAW, we will be helping to support Welsh talent, as well as have a helping hand in making the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 one of the most impressive yet.

Cygnet-Distillery.com

Proud to be supporting the food industry throughout Wales

Falch o gefnogi’r diwydiant bwyd ledled Cymru PIE & PASTY CO.

Luxury Welsh Dairy Ice Cream

01269 846080 | www.chfoods.co.uk

Proud sponsors of the Home Nations Culinary Teams and the Culinary Association of Wales

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Journey On It is being hailed as a massive culinary landmark for Wales – the mouth-watering equivalent of our nation hosting the World Cup football finals.

The Worldchefs Congress and Expo – provisionally set for Newport in May 2026 – is expected to draw 1,000 chefs and more than 5,000 visitors from over 100 countries to Wales.

Culinary Association of Wales’ successful bid to host this lavish biennial event is the result of several years of building confidence amongst Worldchefs’ presidents, identifying a world class venue in ICC Wales and securing the support from Welsh Government to enable us to have a consistent presence at Worldchefs events around the world setting out the business case to secure the vote for our 2026 bid.

The congress will be staged at ICC Wales – scene of October’s successful Blas Cymru/TasteWales 2023, the flagship trade event of the Welsh food and drink industry – with delegates residing at Celtic Manor Resort and hotels in the surrounding vicinity.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins OBE pledges that over the next two-and-a-half years various opportunities will arise for companies and organisations to join us on the road to 2026, and these conversations have already

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started with a number of partner announcements due to be signed off in the coming weeks and months.

“We are already receiving interest in these opportunities,” reveals Mr Watkins. “It will be those business partners who join us on the road leading up to the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 as well as at the congress itself who will secure the best window to the World of Chefs.

“Some of the high-profile activities that we will be seeking sponsorship for are the Ice Breaker Reception, Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner as well as Coffee Congress and Lunch Breaks.”

Potential sponsors will have the unique opportunity of placing their product before international chefs who wield considerable ‘purchase power’ as well as developing a stronger relationship with some of the leading chefs in the UK. Mr Watkins added that organisers were delighted to have received the support of 28 countries from around the world, including all the home nations, for

To 2026 a congress whose theme of ‘Pasture, Passion, Plate’ has the canny aim of inspiring future generations.

Ian Edwards, ICC Wales Chief Executive, said: “Our culinary philosophy is a big part of what we do at ICC Wales and hosting this event will provide an opportunity to showcase Wales’ amazing wealth of produce, as well as our growing food and drink industry, to an international audience.”

The starting gun to 2026 was fired by the recent BlasCymru/TasteWales 2023 showpiece which gathered together Welsh food and drink producers, national and international buyers and food industry professionals all under the ICC Wales roof in October.

Organised by the Welsh Government’s food division, Food and Drink Wales, the two-day event – offering an unrivalled opportunity to network with leading industry stakeholders from across the globe – was the fourth international food and drink trade-only event for the industry in Wales, featuring a national and international showcase of the best products the country has to offer.

And the long and winding road towards the 2026 Worldchefs Congress and Expo is dotted with an array of other eagerly anticipated pit stops.

Not least the Welsh International Culinary Championships – scheduled for the ICC in January – which are designed to celebrate the nation’s culinary skills and rich variety of quality food. The popular event is also packed with exciting competitions for learner, junior and senior chefs and waiting staff as well as the Skills Competition Wales.

and future of the culinary trade. The CAW stand in Singapore will serve as an ideal shop window for Welsh food and drink.

Early 2024 will see publication of Global Chef Finals Competition Briefs in the following categories: Global Chef Final, Patisserie Final, Vegan Chef Final and Junior Chef Final.

Graham Tinsley, the CAW’s Culinary Director, says the search is now on to find four chefs to fill four golden tickets which would qualify Wales for the final of each category.

“Hopefully we will find them at the WICC next January,” he says. “If not, we may identify them working in our own establishments like Sion Hughes who is next year’s senior Global Chef.”

Back in February, Sion, 26, Head Chef at The Spa at Carden Park, near Chester, excelled in his first senior competition by qualifying for the Global Chefs Challenge final in Singapore from the competition’s North Europe heat in Rimini, Italy.

The end of 2025 will see Regional Heats completed and Finalists announced, setting the stage for the biggest culinary event ever to have been staged in Wales when all roads will lead towards ICC Wales in Newport in May 2026!

Mr Watkins believes this to be a great addition, “To have Skills Competition Wales finals within the Welsh International Culinary Championships will enhance the overall experience and enable a greater exposure for all of the competitors and sponsors. It will also provide a foundation for the Culinary Association of Wales to launch its search for future talent to join our culinary teams.”

At the WICC earlier this year Newtown-based Matthew Smith was a popular winner of the National Chef of Wales title at his fifth and final attempt, while Steph Belcher, a 21-year-old Junior Chef from Abergavenny edged out four rival competitors following just 12 days’ preparation to carry off the Junior Chef of Wales crown.

And so on to the main course in Singapore next October. Since 1928 the Worldchefs Congress and Expo has united a global community of chefs and cross-industry innovators to explore the past, present,

www.culinaryassociation.wales

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Chef profile

What Makes a Winner?

Sion Hughes, who, ably assisted by Callum Smith, will be representing Wales at the Senior Global Chef ’s Challenge in 2024 explains why he loves competing and how he’ll do us proud.

Tell me a bit about your background.

I’ve cooked since I was six at home but started cooking professionally at 18 as a commis at Carden Park. And competed in my first competition about 14 months later, which was the North West Young Chef. I came first in the heat and third in the final. Shortly after getting my demi chef promotion, I left for L’Enclume in the Lake District.

I soon realized that I was too young and didn’t yet have the maturity to work in a two Michelin star environment. I learnt a lot, in terms of skills, and about myself but happily returned to Carden Park, as chef de partie, working on pretty much every section within the kitchen until I was promoted to sous chef in the main kitchen. I’m now head chef at Carden Spa. So fine dining is where your heart is?

Yes, even now, I’ll still stay behind after my shift to work at Vines at Carden, which is pure fine dining.

But being a head chef is a new challenge, it gives me management experience and allows me to run a kitchen, which is great experience, for my career and for competitions.

What is it that you like about competing?

The thrill. It’s an adrenaline rush that I don’t really get from day-to-day cooking. Being able to push yourself and a menu, where you can really use your imagination to take a recipe and develop it to make it the best it can be. I think that’s the part of the competition I like.

How does competing help with your own personal development?

Lots of ways. You have to learn to be able to work independently, to work under pressure when you have curveballs thrown at you, such as in a competition when your blast chiller goes down. Not letting that defeat you but come up with a solution when you haven’t got the luxury of multiple freezers. And the good practices I’ve learnt through competitions, I do day to day now.

What type of training do you do for competitions?

The semi-final for Global Chef was a bit tricky because we only had about five, maybe six weeks to practice.

I’d competed with Callum before and we make a great

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team so within 10 days, we had a draft menu sorted.

And then we were practising once or twice a week.

How many hours a day do you think you put in?

Each practice is two and a half hours prepping followed by a very close imitation of a competition environment which is another two and half hours so five hours in total. And you’ve got everything laid out as it will be in the competition. So, before we went Graham (Tinsley) got a floor plan of the actual kitchen.

I then looked around Carden at which section would best represent the kitchen that we would compete in.

There’s nothing worse than practicing somewhere you’re used to and then you get to a competition and the venue is completely different with appliances, prep and cooking areas arranged differently.

Are you sticking strictly to Global Chef ’s guidelines and rules?

Absolutely. Working in Carden, I’m very lucky to have Graham who’s been part of the competition scene for many years, with a judging background as well. When I’m practising, he just watches and jots down the mistakes like a judge would. He will coach afterwards, but during the practice, he’s behaving as a judge. When you give him a plate of food, he always looks at it from a judge’s perspective. Not just ‘is this tasty?’, but do the colours match, the textures match, does this element go with that element. He tells you what the judges would tell you on the day.

So how proud are you to be representing Wales in the final?

Very. It came as a shock as it was quite last minute and we’d had little time to practice, I went there confident, but I wasn’t 100% hopeful. But, once we found out we got through, it was a very proud moment, and I couldn’t wait to tell everyone.

Are you in it to win it?

Yes, 100%. We’ve already met up to start discussing the menu for next year’s final. We’ll get the first draft of the menu done soon after Christmas. Then start practising and develop the final draft of the menu by March.

Then just practise and practise. I was very proud we managed to get through and represent Wales in the final and intend to bring home a gold medal.

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Apprenticeships: A Win-Win for Learner & Employer “SINK or swim? Yes, I definitely think that should be the motto for my business!”

Betina Skovbro, founder and inspirational driving force behind Cardiff-based Danish artisan bakery, Brød, is explaining her philosophy behind training a new generation of Welsh bakers by effectively throwing them in at the deep end.

A passionate advocate of apprenticeship schemes, Betina – a former professional photographer who launched the business in 2015 after spotting a gap in the market for freshly-baked Danish breads, pastries and cakes – fervently believes other businesses should follow suit.

“I just don’t understand why more don’t offer such schemes – or at least decide to give them a try,” she says. “Yes, of course it’s very hard work at the beginning when you get someone who is completely green.

“Then you potentially see a full-time member of staff temporarily become part-time as they have to devote a certain amount of time to training the new apprentice, yet – take it from me – after a couple of months the rewards can be brilliant!

“I have five members of staff who are bakers and all but one have been my apprentices, so effectively they learnt ‘on the job’ which I believe is better than attending college or university – this way they learn about real life as well as running a business!”

Welsh businesses such as Brød are not just finding apprenticeship schemes are an invaluable way to recruit, but also go a long way to helping staff retention and – in addition to building skills within a business – can also assist in strengthening the resilience of the business itself.

A company with such a scheme in place is obviously less prone to suffering staff shortages while at the same

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time reaping cost savings. And, from an apprentice’s point of view, if you throw in the twin attractions of career progression and employee satisfaction then it is a no-brainer.

Donna Heath, Business Support Manager at Cambrian Training, one of the leading workbased apprenticeship providers in Wales, says “We are in the enviable position of having fully-funded apprenticeship programmes available to all, with the added bonus of no restrictions on eligibility for most food, drink and hospitality apprenticeships.

“When recruiting and advertising for new employees, employers who offer apprenticeships are at a distinct advantage as they can promote their apprenticeship offer to show how they are willing to invest time in staff development and that there are career progression opportunities within the business,” she explains.

“Employers who offer apprenticeships to their employees see a benefit in staff who are more loyal, more motivated and who feel valued.

“Apprenticeships can also have a positive impact on the customer. According to our most recent survey 96 per cent of employers who responded said that the apprenticeship training improves the quality of our products and/or services we provide to our customers.”

The Celtic Collection, a chain of luxury business and leisure properties, are among those who work closely with Cambrian Training to establish what they term ‘career pathways’.

“We have apprenticeship options for everyone who joins The Celtic Collection whether on a full-time or part-time basis,” says Learning and Development Manager John Eagle.

“Building skills by nurturing our own team has always been the name of the game for us. Because of the turbulent times we have experienced, the sector – like so many others – is not as stable as we would like.

“We will also help employers to identify any incentives that may be on offer - for example there is currently an employer incentive available where they can receive up to £2,000 for recruiting disabled apprentices,” she says.

“Working alongside Cambrian Training we hold regular work inductions where career pathways are explored and any new employee can sign up on day one. We have over one hundred apprentices on the scheme at the moment and, being something of a flagship for the Welsh hospitality industry, take our responsibilities very seriously.”

“Alternatively, employers can offer apprenticeships to existing staff as part of their development programmes.

Apprenticeships are not just for young people who are new to the workforce.

Kepak, the Irish-based meat company who last year announced over a hundred new jobs at their Merthyr site, recently reviewed their training strategy, partly due to the restrictions being placed on foreign recruitment post-Brexit. “We appointed dedicated butchery skills trainers and, through a link-up with Cambrian Training, structured our training in line with apprenticeship frameworks,” explains general manager Chris Jones.

“This has proved extremely effective and allowed us to build a bank of skills that supports our ambition to grow our business through increased volumes. We believe that this growth and greater local recruitment help us to contribute more to the Welsh economy.

“As well as filling our training matrices, we are also able to offer new recruits the opportunity to earn while they learn and provide a clear, supported career path for all operational staff through the development of new skills.

“We have subsequently broadened the range of apprenticeships offered, all of which has led to a significant increase in staff morale and a positive work environment.”

Donna Heath explains that Cambrian Training can support employers wishing to recruit an apprentice by advertising on the apprenticeship vacancy service website along with the Cambrian Training website.

Not surprisingly Betina Skovbro wholeheartedly approves. “I hear this reluctance to take on apprentices from so many trades, including builders, roofers and plumbers,” she says. “But by failing to engage in these schemes they are not bringing along the next generation.

“Cambrian Training come in to check that what we are teaching our apprentices is relevant and we’re not just using them as cheap labour. By starting apprentices off and spending time with them we are obviously doing them a favour – but that can ultimately be paid back tenfold.

“Nothing beats actual work experience. For example, dough is a living product that feels different in winter than it does in summer and only by touching it can you learn what is right and what is wrong. Our apprentices wouldn’t learn that in a classroom!

“They also learn to be part of a team, experience the pressure when the chips are down and times when everyone needs to support each other. When you work as part of a company there’s so much more at stake.”

Taking on an apprentice should be viewed as a longterm investment. And, from the apprentice’s point of view, such a role offers an acceptable alternative to formal education – the chance to learn directly from ‘the coal face’ while at the same time embracing the core life values of teamwork, discipline and not forgetting an esprit de corps!

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Restaurant Reviews

Vines at Carden Park, Chester Turning off the road on the Cheshire/Welsh border into the Carden Park estate, we had tantalising views of the luxury country house hotel, which houses ‘Vines’ open to hotel guests and visitors alike.

The restaurant decor is elegant, and diners can choose either the tasting menu, with the option of carefully paired drinks or à la carte menu with the sommelier on hand to help choose an ideal wine. Executive Chef Graham Tinsley MBE and his team combine fine dining with theatrical magic something Graham has had years of perfecting as a founder member and captain of the Welsh National Culinary Team.

Having made our choices, we were served warm focaccia packed full of olives and sun-dried tomatoes, Guinness infused mini loaf, and then amuse bouche - a plateful of delights, cured trout tartlets, tandoori lamb fritters and Montgomery cheddar gougere baked with stunningly sharp cheddar perfectly complemented by the soft interior. I knew I had chosen well simply by the beautifully balanced smell of the Scallop and Miso starter, served with roast carrot perfectly cut through by the lime ponzu dressing and golden raisins rehydrated in sake. Severn and Wye Smoked Salmon was hubby’s choice and its locally sourced provenance most definitely shone through.

I had been torn between Halibut and Tandoori Roast Monkfish for my main course, maybe I mentioned to the attentive staff, or did they read my mind, for from the kitchen for us both came a taster of the Monkfish dish with a coconut cream setting for the tandoori and Bombay potato spices.

The Pan-Fried Halibut, another meaty fish, was well suited to its accompaniments: a tasty crab agnolotti, celeriac, preserved elderflower and the ‘pièce de résistance’ - the shellfish sauce which brought memories of seafood dishes enjoyed in France come flooding back. It wasn’t a surprise to find that the chef working alongside Graham that evening was French.

Dish of the evening had to be hubby’s Pine Roasted Venison Loin, a generous serving of thickly sliced pink venison with a swede and venison pressing, containing a complex combination of tastes along with kale, watercress emulsion and pickled shallot jus. The other half has never been able to appreciate meat served pink which is something that was met with derision on our French holidays in particular but the venison changed a lifetime of preference, and he declared that the meat was perfect.

We watched as diners nearby were served a showcase dessert - a culinary magical twist on that 70s classic Baked Alaska, flambéed at the table with limoncello and while I was torn, I opted for the Millionaire’s Shortbread. The shortbread was shorter even than my grandmother used to make - rich, decadent chocolate ganache and a light whipped topping with shards of chocolate and gold shavings. Hubby opted for the artisan cheeses a plate of high-quality cheese and the crispest of crackers, sourdough bread and a kebab of grapes as well as delicious chutney.

The last gift to my taste buds was another decadent delight, fudge petite fours which oozed with deliciousness. The Vines’ watchword is divine - and divine it is, from the first taste to the last.

Vines, Carden Park Country Estate, Broxton Rd, Chester CH3 9DQ Tel: 01829 73100 www.cardenpark.co.uk

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Sheeps and Leeks, Caernarfon

Restaurant Reviews

Sheeps and Leeks, named after two products for which Wales is famous, is located in an unassuming former shop in the heart of Caernarfon. Perhaps not where you’d find an award-winning fine dining restaurant, but chef Paul Hearn has built up a solid reputation since its opening in 2019. It boasts a listing in the 2023 Michelin Guide and recently won the Casual Dining Restaurant of The Year category at the Welsh Hospitality Awards.

Stepping into the restaurant diners find themselves in the kitchen being warmly greeted by chefs before being led downstairs to the dining room. An atmospherically lit and sparsely furnished room with a wooden floor and low ceiling, photos adorn the walls with shelves housing books, awards and jars containing exotic ingredients like salted lemons. Storage upstairs, it seems, is limited.

Sheeps and Leeks offers a set, ten-course tasting menu at weekends with a seven-course tasting menu served midweek. A pescatarian, vegetarian and Saturday lunch menu are also offered. Imaginative wine pairings for each course are also offered.

The meal started with three pre-starters. Small, very moreish dishes featuring potato, salmon and lobster with various herbs were served on pieces of slate probably hewn from one of the many quarries in the area.

Served in a deep spoon the Lamb, lamb fat hollandaise and truffle will live long in the memory. The sauce was thick and creamy and the meat succulent and perfectly cooked. The truffle added just that little bit of extra flavour.

Moving on from the pre-starters a dish of beetroot, chicory and walnut served on a bed of puffed rice with a pinkish beetroot ice cream was brought to the table and eagerly eaten. As was the flavoursome butternut squash, sage and red pepper velouté that followed. As if to pre-empt the temptation to scoop up the yummy velouté with a finger a piece of focaccia bread with black garlic butter found its way to the table. How does the chef create such amazing flavours from simple ingredients.

The fish course was a locally caught sea bass and crab served on a bed of seaweed which had also been sourced locally. The fish was perfectly steamed and firm to the fork. Accompanied by a delicate light cream sauce and beer battered scratchings this was a winner.

The dry-aged sirloin steak was one of several new additions to the menu. Served medium rare, it was juicy and mouth-watering and expertly paired with a variety of mushrooms and topped with crispy kale. The mushroom sauce which lapped up around the meat was thick and creamy and begging to be licked off the plate.

Throughout the meal there was a convivial atmosphere in the restaurant with an excited chatter among other diners. When new courses were served the hubbub quietened so that the descriptions could be heard.

The serving staff were extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the food they serve adding immensely to the dining experience. The fruit and vegetables used by Paul and his team are sourced locally with many grown by the staff or their families.

Despite there being only 20 people in the restaurant the efficient team of servers made no rush to move onto the next course and this created a very relaxed atmosphere.

All of the courses were delicious, but the cheese course was a highlight. Brefu Bach, an unpasteurised sheep’s cheese made by cheesemaker Carrie Rimes at Bethesda, was served on a brittle cracker and covered in hazelnut crumb dipped in honey with a poached pear. Superb!

It would have made the perfect ending to any meal but there were still two desserts to enjoy. An autumn fruit combination of home grown apple, blackberry and elderberry served on a bed of granola with a refreshing plum sorbet and followed by white chocolate, cream cheese and pistachio nut on a light, shiny raspberry sorbet. This was an evening to remember!

12 Eastgate Street, Caernarfon LL55 1AG. Tel: 01286 239118 www.sheepsandleeks.cymru

www.culinaryassociation.wales

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The Work of an Apprentice Chef 2 Rosettes casual fine dining restaurant Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen, operated by leading workbased training provider Cambrian Training Company is nurturing the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals. The business employs eight apprentices including a team of four apprentice chefs and four front-of-house apprentices.

The day starts early at around 7am, with the first task of the day, cooking the renowned Chartists 1770 full-cooked Welsh breakfasts featuring locally sourced bacon, sausages and eggs for guests staying at The Trewythen.

Once breakfast service has finished at 9.30am, the apprentice chefs start prepping for the day. Cakes & bakes; lunch and bar snacks; afternoon tea and dinner are all on the menu.

At Chartists 1770 all the food is prepared and cooked in-house and the apprentice chefs learn the skills that this requires. Including home-baked bread, with the restaurant getting through over 30kg of organic bread flour every week. The chutneys and jams are also home-made, often using local fruits that the apprentice chefs have foraged.

By popular demand the restaurant now sells their home-baked bread, chutneys and jams at £3 per loaf and £4.95 per jar. The Chartists red currant and wine jam is particularly popular as it not only works well as a sweet jam but also as a meat glaze for lamb and duck.

Rosie and Gabrielle are working towards completing their Level 3 Professional Cookery. Whilst Owen and Toyah who both joined the restaurant after leaving school at the age of 16, are studying for their Level 2 Professional Cookery.

“Our chefs learn to make everything in house from breads, sauces, pastries, deserts and ice cream as well as more complex dishes,” says Executive Chef, Jamie Tully.

Many different cuts of meat are featured on the menu and as part of their training the apprentice chefs are taught valuable butchery skills. The restaurant only serves local Welsh PGI lamb and beef, sourced from Williams Family Butchers Llanidloes, which is just across the road from the restaurant.

“All our Welsh PGI lamb and beef, is sourced from lambs or cattle born and reared in Wales, which are fully traceable, thus guaranteeing the superior quality and freshness of the meat.” explains Jamie.

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The fish and seafood come from Cornwall and is delivered direct to the restaurant daily to guarantee the quality and freshness. The apprentices learn to break down and fillet the different fish served on the menu.

As well as learning how to prepare and cook the ingredients, the apprentice chefs learn about designing a menu and pairing the meat and fish with the right seasonal vegetables and accompaniments.

For example, the restaurant serves monk fish because it can take on big flavours very well and is sustainable.

The fish is lightly grilled and glazed with a lobster reduction and paired with a curried pearl barley, cauliflower, samphire and a seafood sauce.

As well as working towards achieving their professional culinary qualifications, the apprentices are gaining first-hand experience of cooking in a working-kitchen, learning valuable life skills such as how to work as part of a team, time manage and work under pressure.

All of their hard work is paying off.

Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen will be sending two of their apprentices who have won through the heats to compete in the World Skills UK finals, that’s being held in Manchester in November. Abbigail Howes will be competing in the Restaurant Services Final and Gabrielle Wilson will be competing in the Culinary Skills Final. She recently got in some invaluable practice, giving her first cooking demonstration making chocolate cremeaux, to a packed audience at the Mid Wales Autumn Fayre at the Royal Welsh Showground.

Of their experience training at Chartists 1770, Owen, acting as a spokesperson for the group, said “Working at Chartists 1770 and working closely with Jamie, our Executive Chef has allowed us to develop our skills as chefs, and we’re learning to make new things every day.”

The ultimate accolade though comes from customers, one of whom recently said online: “Just a quick note to let you know that we ate at your restaurant tonight in Llanidloes. The food was exceptional, the colleagues were amazing and the 4 of them made what was a special weekend even more so.

My husband and I eat out often at high end restaurants and I can honestly say that the food we enjoyed there tonight out did all of them. I know you will be exceptionally proud of your young protégés.”

If proof were needed that apprenticeships work, this is it.

www.culinaryassociation.wales

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