A young chef from Mayo has reached the final stages of the 2009 Baileys Euro-Toques Young Chef Competition. Twenty-three-year-old Patrick Powell is one of five finalists in total. He is from Killala and works at Knockranny House Hotel. To get to this stage Patrick had to submit his CV and recipe that took into account current economic climate and environmental trends for a seasonal main course dish for four people, incorporating local and artisan produce at a value-for-money cost. Entrants were then invited to attend a panel interview in Dublin conducted by chefs and founding Euro-toques members John Howard and Gerry Galvin, past winner Neven Maguire and Euro-toques secretary general Ruth Hegarty.
Patrick will now compete head to head against the four other finalists in a culinary skills test under the scrutiny of another panel of judges and the winner will be announced at the prestigious Michelin-starred Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin on April 6. Among the judges will be the London-based two Michelin-star chef Shane Osborn, who is co-owner of the renowned London restaurant Pied a Terre, where the winning chef will receive his stage along with a cash prize of €1000.
Competition judge Lorcan Cribbin, who is head chef at Bang Cafe, said: “The standard of entries was extremely high this year and these five young men show great potential and passion for their chosen career. Being a professional chef is not for the faint-hearted and as we go through some particularly challenging economic circumstances for the restaurant trade, now more than ever we need creative, hard working, individuals who can add value to our establishments. We are delighted that Baileys are continuing to support the work of Euro-Toques Ireland by backing a competition that brings the next generation of culinary talent to the fore and celebrates the best of our local culinary art.”
