Immediate: June 12, 2008
A young chef from Harlech has clinched a place in next year's WorldSkills Competition in Canada after becoming the UK champion today (Thursday).
Tom Middleton, a 20-year-old chef de partie at Hotel Maes-y-Neuadd, Talsarnau, beat seven other chefs from across the UK to win the intermediate cooking competition at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.
The finalists were given three hours to complete a set of five cookery tasks, which they only discovered on the morning of the competition. The tasks covered a broad range of culinary skills that tested their technical and creative abilities.
Middleton's success follows victories in the Hospitality Skills Competition Wales in February and UK heats last month. He can now start planning for the WorldSkills Competition, which is being held in Calgary next year and in London in October 2011.
A graduate of Loughborough College and a member of the junior Welsh National Culinary Team, he was delighted to become UK champion.
"My ambition is to continue learning new skills to progress as a chef," he said. "I would like to work at a top Michelin star restaurant in the future and eventually open my own restaurant."
His boss, Peter Jackson, of Hotel Maes-y-Neuadd, said: "It's a fabulous result not only for Tom but also for Wales. He has a great attitude and has been rewarded for lots of hard work in the kitchen."
The Welsh Assembly Government's Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths said: "Congratulations to Tom on becoming a WorldSkills UK champion, which demonstrates the rich talent and skills that Wales has to offer.
"To remain competitive and prosper in the global economy Wales must continue to improve its skills base."
Organised by award-winning training provider Cambrian Training Company in partnership with VT Training and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Hospitality Skills Competition Wales received funding from the European Convergence Programme and skillscompetition Wales through the Welsh Assembly Government. The event was also supported by the Welsh Culinary Association, a member of the World Association of Chefs Societies.
The WorldSkills Competition is the largest international skills competition in the world, with 48 member countries sending highly trained young people to compete for the title of 'world champion' in 40 different vocational skills. The competition happens every two years attracts over 800 competitors, who are tested against tough international standards over the four-day event.
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For more information please contact Mr Arwyn Watkins, Cambrian Training Company's managing director, on 01938 555893 or Duncan Foulkes, public relations consultant, on 01686 650818.
