Chefs put their skills to the test in Welsh contest

The three countries will battle it out in a Restaurant of Nations hot kitchen competition over three days, each being allocated three hours to produce a three-course meal for 90 people under the supervision of a panel of international judges. The winning team will receive a specially commissioned Dragon Trophy. Tickets are sold for lunch over the three days at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, when diners are able to sample the culinary delights served up by the three teams, who also competed in the Culinary Olympics in Germany last month. Wales will open the competition on Tuesday, February 17 followed on Wednesday by the country yet to be confirmed and New Zealand on Thursday. The championships, which attract chefs from across the UK, are open to the public free of charge. Colleges across Wales and the England are expected to send teams of competitors this year. In addition, a new cook and serve competition will see a chef and a waiter team up to serve afternoon tea for four persons, including imaginative sandwiches, cakes, scones, homemade biscuits and preserves with a choice of freshly brewed leaf teas and infusions, all within an hour. A good hygiene award, sponsored by Ecolab, will also be presented for the first time to the competitor displaying the highest standards of hygiene. The Welsh International Culinary Championships, organised by the Welsh Culinary Association (WCA), are sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government to promote the food and drink industry brand 'True Taste'. Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales also jointly sponsor the Battle for the Dragon contest. For more information visit www.welshculinaryassociation.com