16/05/11
Budding pastry chef rises to the occasion
After many years as an IT sales manager, she decided to try something new after slipping two discs in a nasty car crash that led to a long lay-off from work. Within months she has become one of the rising stars of the culinary world.
Beating off challenges from rivals across the nation, Karen has now won a gold award at the prestigious skillscompetition Wales Cooking and Restaurant Services contest hosted by Coleg Llandrillo at Rhos-on-Sea
She took the top spot in the Pastry Cook / Confectioner category after producing and presenting classic cold and hot desserts and a plated trio of desserts. Her Gateau Saint Honoré and trio of desserts were described as ‘brilliantly executed’ by the panel of top judges.
Karen, who also has a degree in dressmaking, enrolled on the cookery course at Llandrillo last September after being made redundant from her previous job and is enjoying it so much that she’s determined to make it her career.
Entering the skillscompetition Wales event has transformed the way that she thinks about food and has given her new confidence in her culinary skills. She said: “I have always fancied myself as a bit of a foodie, but, when you are getting on a bit like me, you think that learning is out of the question. I was really nervous when I enrolled, but there are actually a few mature students in my class and we all really enjoy it. I am thrilled to win gold, and it goes to show that age is no barrier!”
Also representing North Wales in the competition were Dale Jones, 17, and Nathan Roberts, 19, from Denbighshire, who teamed up in the Cook and Serve competition. The duo overcame stiff competition from five pairs of finalists from across Wales to win gold after composing a creative three-course Welsh lunch and strawberry punch cocktail for four people based on a fixed list of ingredients.
Dale said: “It was a really tough day, but Nathan and I worked really hard and enjoyed the whole competition. It was a great team effort.”
skillscompetition Wales is an annual series of contests to find nation’s most talented trainees in many different occupations and to showcase the skills of Wales. Events are organised by further education colleges, Sector Skills Councils and work-based learning providers, and winners are considered for entry to WorldSkills UK and possibly to the flagship biennial WorldSkills event.
London is hosting the flagship WorldSkills competition later this year although participants in the 2011 Welsh events who have international ambitions are focused on representing the UK at WorldSkills 2013 in Leipzig.
The competitions in Wales, which cover dozens of occupational skills, are financed by the Welsh Assembly Government with the support of the European Social Fund.
Barry Liles, Principal of Coleg Sir Gâr and Wales' official WorldSkills Champion, said: "These competitions provide an excellent opportunity for our skilled people to show that they can be world beaters. They can putWales, as a small nation, on the map by demonstrating the quality of their own work and showcasing the calibre of the Welsh workforce generally.
“Events such as skillscompetition Wales and WorldSkills UK present people with an exciting opportunity to showcase their trade and vocational skills so that these may be recognised and developed to meet the needs of Welsh employers."
For more information you can visit www.worldskillsuk.org/wales
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