Germany celebrates victory in battle for the dragon contest

Germany held off a strong challenge from the Welsh National Culinary Team and France to win the first ever ‘Battle for the Dragon’ international culinary contest staged in Wales last night (Thursday).

The young German team received the specially commissioned Dragon Trophy at a presentation dinner held at The Imperial Hotel, Llandudno.

Judges commended all three teams on a very close competition, which resulted in gold medals for the German and Welsh teams and a silver medal for the French team, which returned to international competition for the first time in 28 years.

The Battle for the Dragon contest was the showpiece event of the three-day Welsh International Culinary Championships, which were this year held by the Welsh Culinary Association at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Rhos-on-Sea for the first time.

The championships were sponsored by the Welsh Development Agency to promote the food and drink industry brand ‘True Taste’.

The three national teams served up a mouthwatering three-course luncheon for 75 people, with the Welsh team cooking a main course of Welsh Lamb, the German team cooking pork and the French team cooking Welsh Beef.

The winning German menu comprised a starter of salmon with minced zander and poached prawns wrapped in savoy cabbage, salmon, smoked salmon, prawn and zander sausages, baked prawns in a pastry crust, white tomato sauce, sweet pepper reduction, basil pesto, glazed cucumbers, pearl barley risotto and ricotta and spinach ravioli.

Their main course was fillet of pork in a ham and wild garlic coat served on Bavarian kraut, morel cream sauce, loin of pork in a Dijon mustard crust served on a parsley root puree, ragout of pork shoulder with dried prunes, market vegetables, potato and crepe pie.

Dessert was dark truffle mousse on brandy sponge cake, sesame ice cream with sesame brittle and candied violets, pralines filled with brandy and liqueur, morello cherries stuffed with Grand Marnier marzipan and cherry sauce.

The German team was managed by Frank Ottersbach, chef instructor at Gisbert-von-Romberg-Kolleg, Dortmund and captained by Simon Tress, of Wohlfahrt’s Palazzo, Hamburg. Team members are Daniel Schöfisch, of the Hilton Hotel, Berlin who is currently on military service, Marcel Beley, of Restaurant Solar, Berlin, Mark Kipson, of Restaurant Strawinski, Dortmund and Steffen Blunck, of Culinary Creative Academy Blunck, Berlin.

„This is a young team and we are very happy to win the competition,“ said Mr Ottersbach. „The judges faced a very difficult job in judging all the different tastes from the three countries.

„We are proud to have taken part in the first Battle for the Dragon contest and we have enjoyed the hospitality, people and scenery here. For such a small country Wales has done a big job in organising the competition. Our impression is that Welsh cuisine is becoming more like Europe.“

The Welsh team, competing on home soil for the first time, was led by Lee Jeynes, head chef at Crag Brow Hotel, Bowness on Windermere and captained by Wayne Roberts, chef partner of The Waterfront Restaurant, Trearddur Bay and The Courtyard, Beaumaris. The other team members were Mike Bates, executive chef at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Hefin Roberts, of The Courtyard, Beaumaris, Steve Hewitt, of the Kinmel Arms, St George, Abergele and Danny Burke, development chef for food service company Brakes in Flint.

The team served up a starter of warm skate potato terrine, carpaccio of beetroot, roasted langoustines, globe artichokes, raisin and caper dressing, baby shoots, bacon crispy and balsamic olive oil drizzle.

The main course was braised breast of Welsh Lamb in a parsley crust, lamb sweetbread fritter, slow roasted loin of Welsh Lamb with flageolet puree and fondant potato followed by a dessert comprising a study of chocolate and raspberries.

The Battle for the Dragon contest judges were Peter Jackson, Welsh Culinary Association chairman, Klaus Meyer of Germany, Colin Gray of the Welsh Culinary Association and Tony Jackson of the Federation of Chefs Scotland.

„It was a very close competition with Germany the deserved winners,“ said Mr Jackson. „The Welsh team performed well to win a gold medal and it’s important that we continue to compete against and learn from higher ranked countries.

„It was fantastic to welcome the French team back to international competition and we look forward to competing against them in the future.

„The Battle for the Dragon contest and the Welsh International Culinary Championships as a whole have been a big success thanks to all the support we have received, particularly from Coleg Llandrillo Cymru.“

The Welsh National Culinary Team is sponsored by the Welsh Development Agency, C&C Catering Equipment Ltd, Brakes, Unilever Foodsolutions UK, Catering Engineers (N.W.) Ltd, Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales, Gourmet Classic Ltd, Villeroy and Boch and Friedr. Dick, Germany.

The gold medal winning Welsh National Culinary Team (from left) Wayne Roberts, Steve Hewitt, Lee Jeynes, Danny Burke, Mike Bates and Hefin Roberts.
ermany celebrates victory in battle for the dragon contest

Reveal: Wacs

Photo: Wacs

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