Chef Wins Place in Welsh Team for Culinary World Cup

A chef working at one of the top hotels in Wales has clinched a place in the Welsh National Culinary Team for the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg next month.

Sajeela Siriwardena, 30, chef de partie at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, will join the brigade of support chefs for the prestigious event, working closely with pastry chef and assistant team manager Colin Gray, of Capital Cuisine, Cardiff.

He secured his place after winning a recent competition, set by the team, for pastry chefs from across Wales. They were challenged to present two different plated desserts of their choice and four each of two different types of petit fours.

Sajeela, who was born in Sri Lanka, worked in Dubai and England before taking up a post at The Celtic Manor Resort.

„It will be the first time I have been to the Culinary World Cup and I am really proud to be part of the Welsh team,“ he said. „I have worked hard to win my place in the team.“

The Welsh National Culinary Team, currently ranked seventh in the world, is hoping to repeat the gold medal success they recorded at the Culinary World Cup four years ago in their first major competition as a national team.

Sajeela will be providing back up for the front line chefs who will be led by manager, Graham Tinsley, co-owner of The Castle Hotel, Conwy and Nant Hall, Prestatyn. Captain is Lee Jeynes, formerly of Barry but now co-owner of The Whitehouse Hotel, Bowness on Windermere.

The other team members are: Wayne Roberts, co-owner of The Waterfront, Trearddur Bay and The Courtyard, Beaumaris, Mike Bates, executive chef at Macdonald Holland House, Cardiff, Colin Gray, a director of Capital Cuisine, Cardiff and Nick Davies, a director of Cambrian Training Company, Welshpool.

The Welsh team competes in the hot kitchen competition in Luxembourg on Saturday, November 18. The second part of the competition, on Tuesday, November 21, involves creating a variety of culinary art display dishes around a central theme for a cold buffet table.

The team is sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government to promote the food and drink industry brand ‘True Taste’ and by 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, Friedr. Dick, Germany and Snowdonia Cheese Company.

Picture caption:
Sajeela Siriwardena.

 
Source; nkf-chefs.com