An Athlone based chef will participate in the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2023 final on Sunday.
Described as “Ireland’s premier cooking competition for young professional chefs”, Marcell Palfalusi of Thyme restaurant will compete with five fellow competitors for the prestigious title.
Open to professional young chefs under the age of 28, the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year is now firmly established as Ireland’s premier competition within the industry, Marcell aspiring to claim the accolade and further enhance the esteem in which Thyme restaurant, the holder of a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, is held.
Hailing from Hungary, Marcell has resided in Ireland for 10 years and has worked in Thyme restaurant for two years.
Lauding Marcell’s achievement, Thyme proprietor, John Coffey, noted that the chef was thoroughly deserving of his place in the final.
“Achieving this prestigious final place is testament to the manner in which Marcell applies himself to his craft and the passion he exudes while working with his colleagues in Thyme.
“All of the team in Thyme are proud of Marcell achieving a place in the final of this prestigious competition and we wish him every success this weekend,” John stated.
During the semi-final stage of the competition, the 14 competitors were challenged to complete two separate tasks - a skills test based on a classic pastry recipe and a mystery basket which involved creating a dish including three key elements, namely vegetables, pulses or grains and Irish raw milk cheese.
Marcell’s fellow final participants are Conor Morrissey from Glovers Alley (Dublin ); Leticia Miranda from Mae restaurant (Dublin ); Matthias Beuque from Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (Dublin ); Shauna Murphy from Terre (Cork ) and Adam Walsh from 1826 Adare (Limerick ).
