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Junior Chef of Wales 2023 – Thursday 23rd February 2023

Download the application form HERE

Or complete the application online below

Junior chef of Wales Competition Rules & Conditions

1. Age Limit
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Open to all chefs who are minimum age 16, maximum age NOT more than 23 on the 1st January 2023 (must be born after 1st January 2000).
Chefs can be working and/or studying for a catering qualification in a college or establishment in Wales or be Welsh  working and/or studying for a catering qualification in a college or establishment anywhere in the World.

2. Entries
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All entries must be submitted on the official entry form or online through our website accompanying these rules and conditions, together with an administration fee of £15.00 (payable via bank transfer or paypal). Junior membership for the Culinary Association of Wales is included in the fee, for the CAW year 2022/23.

Payment Information: Account Number: 81734059 | Sort Code: 40-37-13
Paypal – office@culinaryassociation.wales

If downloading the form and emailing / posting back to us, an A4 page for each course with a full recipe for FOUR persons to be affixed to the entry form, which should be sent to: Culinary Association of Wales Office, Ty Cambrian, Unit 10, Offas Dyke Business Park, Fisher Rd, Welshpool SY21 8JF or via email to Ceri Nicholls at office@culinaryassociation.wales.
Last day of acceptance is 31st Janurary 2023.

3. Menu
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The entry must be the competitor’s own creative menu for a three-course dinner for four persons, [Soup is not to be used for the first course]. Competitors must use a majority of Welsh products and this will form part of the marking schedule. Chosen finalists will be expected to compete on 23rd February 2023.
Starter course must be a seafood/fish appetizer
Main course must be using 2 cuts of Welsh Beef – one prime cut and one secondary cut
Dessert must be seasonal, feature one hot element and include chocolate

4. Time Allowed
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The time allowed for the completion of the menu is three hours.

Dishes are to be presented in course order. At the end of the competition, when time is called competitors will be judged only on what has already been presented. Start times and presentation times will be staggered by 10 minutes between each chef/team, this will allow the judges ample time to mark your dishes. A schedule of presentation times will be sent to competitors at least 2 weeks before the final.

5. Provision of food & equipment
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The provision of all commodities and small kitchen equipment is the responsibility of the competitor throughout the contest, please note that this year’s competition will be held using induction technology for cooking. The organisers accept no responsibility for loss or damage to your equipment. Only fresh food will be accepted, seasonal factors should be taken into account.

The following is a list of permitted mise-en-place
• Salads – cleaned, washed, not mixed or cut.
• Vegetables – cleaned, peeled, washed, not cut, must be raw.
• Fruit and vegetable purees are permitted but must not be seasoned or finished item
• No glaze or concentrated juices
• Dried fruit / or vegetable powder permitted
• Dehydrated fruit or sheets permitted
• Vegetable ash and home-made spice mixture are permitted.
• Shellfish should be raw in their shells but cleaned. Crustaceans should be raw or boiled, but not peeled.
• Stocks – basic stock, not reduced, not seasoned, no additional items (garlic, wines, etc.) and hot and cold samples must be available for the judges.
• Pastry sponge, biscuit, – can be brought in, but not cut. Meringue can be in a piping bag pre-made but not cooked Basic pastry recipes can be brought in weighed out but no further processing.
• Fruit pulps – fruit purees may be brought in but not as a finished sauce.
• Decor elements – 100% must be made in the kitchen. Food colors, titanium dioxide, glitters, gold dust are not allowed.

Teams violating these rules will be penalized up to 10% from the maximum potential score.

6. Selection of finalists
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On the basis of the entry form and menu, the judges will select the best entrants who will qualify for the final. The winner will be expected to potentially represent Wales in World Chefs competition(s).

7. presentation
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Competitors will be asked to present their menu in the following manner:
• All courses to be plated in front of their workstation.
• Two plates for judges, one plate for photographs, one plate for display .
• Competitors will be asked to leave their work areas whilst judges complete their marking.
• Competitors must produce a bilingual presentation menu in Welsh and English.
• Excessive use of decorative silverware, napkins, flowers, wine/glasses and menus will not be taken into consideration by the judging panel

8. Judging
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The prizes will be award ed in order of merit to those entrants who show the following:
• Best meal produced • Balance of menu & use of Welsh products
• Blends of texture, colour, taste & flavour • Range of technical & knife skills shown
• Presentation of food • Personal & practical hygiene
• Self-organisation

9. Winner
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The final will consist of the four highest scorers from the paper judging. The final will take place on Thursday 23rd
February 2023 at Coleg Llandrillo, Llandudno Rd, Rhos on Sea, Colwyn Bay LL28 4HZ, followed by an Awards Dinner in the evening at The Imperial Hotel, Llandudno, of which each finalist will be allocated 2 tickets. The winner for the Wales National final will get an automatic seeding into the UK National semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year.

10. Mentors
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This maybe your lecturer, trainer or a Chef in your kitchen, basically anyone whom you name and will act as an advisor to you for the duration of the competition .
Competitors are allowed a commis – the student is permitted to do as much as you direct or can work as a kitchen
steward to support the cleanliness of the kitchen. This person must be the same age or younger than yourself. On no account can this person be your mentor/ senior chef.

11. General
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a) Failure to comply with these rules will lead to disqualification .
b) Any point can be verified with the Chairman of Judges before the final by letter, the reply will be brought to the notice of the judges prior to the commencement of the com petition.
c) The dec ision of the judges is fi nal and binding. No correspondence will be entered into concerning the judges
decision.
d) Submission of a menu will constitute an agreement to abide by these rules and conditions.
e) Ingredients and instruct ion recipes must be provided in English – menu titles may be in Welsh but translations must be provided.
f) Recipes become the property of the Culinary Association of Wales and Sponsors.

Notes of Guidance for competitors and mentors.
a) Competitors are reminded that the eat ing quality of the food they produce is as important as the visual appeal and marks can be lost in this very valuable area.
b) Competitors should plan their hot dishes and method of work so that their food is served HOT.
c) A few minutes notice, given by the competitor to the chairman of the judges, will ensure that the
Competitor’s food is judged in the best possible condition.

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