Two young Powys chefs have won a new prestigious competition to find the best vegetarian menu.
Commis chefs Gabbi Wilson and Rosie Koffer, workmates at Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen, Llanidloes, are the first winners of the Culinary Association of Wales’ Green Chef Challenge.
Open to chefs under the age of 25, the Green Chef Challenge asked chefs to cook a three course, predominantly vegetable-based menu for six guests in three hours.
The pair both won gold medals for Gabbi’s three-course vegetarian menu with judges scoring their dishes at 90 per cent or over.
“I have only been a commis chef for six months and winning this competition is very exciting,” said Gabbi, 18, from Rhayader.
The menu opened with tempura seaweed tacos with pickled cabbage slaw, cashew cream and falafel. Main course was braised leeks, pomme dauphine, sauteed mushrooms and green leek mayo. Dessert was vanilla Cremieux with caramac, lemon curd, lemon and cider gel, poached pears and a brown butter crumb.
Chartists 1770 at the Trewythen is a boutique training restaurant with rooms owned by Cambrian Training Company and the award winning dishes will be on the Chartists 1770 menu from January 30.
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Both apprentices had a busy three days at the WICC. Rosie was commis chefs to Chartists 1770 executive chef Jamie Tully in the National Chef of Wales final, where he won a bronze medal. She then competed in the Junior Chef of Wales final with Gabbi as her commis, achieving silver medals.
Both Gabbi and Rosie are working towards an Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery under the expert tutelage of Jamie and the support of Cambrian Training Company’s training officer Will Richards, who also won a bronze medal in the National Chef of Wales final.
Faith O’ Brien, managing director of Cambrian Training Company, said: “I am bursting with pride. We firmly believe in backing up our words with action by actively encouraging our learners and staff to challenge themselves and compete against the top in their peer group to continually build their expertise, confidence and skills.”
Culinary Association of Wales president Arwyn Watkins, OBE, said: “We introduced the Green Chef Challenge competition because of the growing demand for vegetable-based meals across the UK.
“The competition will also feature at the Worldchefs Congress and Expo when it comes to Wales in May 2026 and we will have a Welsh chef competing.”
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