London trainee chef David Alun Powell is off to Spain to work at world-class restaurant El Bulli, after winning the final of Foods from Spain’s first national competition to find the Spanish Young Chef of the Year.
The competition is intended to inspire student chefs up to the age of 23 to explore and experiment with the seasonal Spanish fresh produce and create memorable dishes that reflect the style of food in the country.
The first prize is a week in Spain, including three days in the kitchens at El Bulli.
Powell, a student at London’s Westminster Kingsway College - which trained celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, Antony Worrell Thompson and Ainsley Harriott - beat finalists from around the UK in a cook-off final at the weekend.
The judging panel was made up of chef Peter Gordon, co-owner of the Providores and Tapa Room restaurant in London, food writer and director of Foods from Spain, María José Sevilla, and chef lecturer José Souto.
Powell designed a menu featuring a starter of cherry smoked venison with raspberry red chard salad, a main course of spiced duck breast, chorizo mash, glacé carrots, creamed cabbage and serrano ham, with a cherry jus, followed by blackberry frangipane tart, strawberry jus soup, cherimoya foam and persimmon sorbet for dessert.
María José Sevilla, director of Foods from Spain, said: "After winning his place in the cook-off final with his well thought out Spanish-inspired menu, David proved that he had what it takes to deliver great quality, exciting food on the day. He really deserves his title of Spanish Young Chef of the Year, and I am sure that his experience at El Bulli will be just one of the many culinary highlights he has ahead of him.”
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