The Head Chef of Machynlleth’s Wynnstay Hotel has been accepted into a highly prestigious chefs association.

At an inauguration ceremony on March 20, Gareth Johns, who has been cooking at the Wynnstay Hotel for over 20 years, became one of just 125 UK members of the Disciples of Escoffier.

Mr Johns was accepted into the association at a special dinner held at The Waldorf Hotel in London.

He said: “I’m very proud to have been accepted, it’s a serious recognition.

“It was a truly a splendid night and I am honoured and humbled to be so recognised by my peers.

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“I now join fellow famous names including Michel Escoffier (the great grandson of Master Chef Auguste Escoffier), culinary legend Anton Mosimann,  Chef Patron of The Art School in Liverpool Paul Askew, Monica Galetti of Mere London and of course Masterchef, and Murray Chapman who was sadly absent but also inducted.”

The Disciples d’Auguste Escoffier were created in 1954 by Jean Ducroux, a chef from Nice and President of the Fraternelle des Cuisiniers culinary order.

At the time, no culinary organization existed in the south of France, giving him the idea to bring together the chefs of the region’s important hotels, organising a contest, the Grand Prix Auguste Escoffier, within the group.

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A first chapter was created at the beginning of the 1960s ender the presidency of Eugene Herbodeau, who had worked with Escoffier and had written a book about him with Paul Thalamas, one of his other followers.

While it has evolved over time, in 2007, the International President set a goal to bring together all of the Disciples Escoffier from around the world, modernise the Disciples, and commit them to a campaign.

This campaign includes notes of equality and appearance, stating that there is no distinction of rank amongst the Disciples with their inductions being identical.

It also states that Escoffier’s make an effort to share and pass on their knowledge, respect culinary history, encourage continual evolution and support charity.

The induction is not the first prestigious recognition of Gareth Johns' work.

In 2022 he was awarded the Best of Gastronomies International, an independent chefs and gourmet organisation that operates in 170 countries, while in 2023 he was listed among the top 10 chefs in Britain by the Eat Game Awards.