Cyn-Fyfyriwr Arlwyo wedi ei enwi yn Gogydd Gweithredol yn un o fwytai gorau Awstralia

Mae taith Jonathan Evans ym myd coginio - sydd wedi ei gymryd o Ogledd Cymru drwy Lerpwl a gwlad Groeg i Awstralia - nawr wedi ei dywys i arwain lleoliad newydd sbon, The Iluka yn Perth, lle'r enillodd y swydd o fri o brif gogydd gweithredol yn 2021. Mae'r Iluka yn gysyniad bwyd a diod newydd cyffrous wedi ei nythu rhwng Riff y Cefnfor yr India a Thraeth Burns, yn union wrth ymyl Cefnfor yr India.

Eglurodd Jonathan fwy: "Roedd fy mlynyddoedd yn y coleg yn bleserus iawn a rhoddodd i mi'r sgiliau angenrheidiol i lwyddo mewn bywyd. Wedi i mi gwblhau fy nghymhwyster Lefel 3, penderfynais fynd allan i'r byd go iawn a gweithio yn llawn-amser. Gweithiais mewn sefydliadau anhygoel o gwmpas ardal Llandudno - gan gynnwys y Gwesty Imperial, St Tudno a'r Queens' Head - ond roedd gen i awch am deithio a gweld y byd."

Mae ganddo esgidiau teuluol mawr i'w llenwi, gan ei fod yn fab i Mike Evans, sy'n cydbwyso ei amser fel tiwtor Lletygarwch ac Arlwyo ar gampws Llandrillo-yn-Rhos y coleg gyda'i rôl fel rheolwr Tîm Coginio Iau Cenedlaethol Cymru. Defnyddiwyd gwybodaeth eang Mike o fewn y diwydiant lletygarwch mewn pennod ddiweddar o gyfres boblogaidd y BBC "The Apprentice".

Man galw cyntaf Jonathan wedi cwblhau ei hyfforddiant ar gampws Llandrillo-yn-Rhos a gadael y cartref teuluol oedd gwlad Groeg, lle y gweithiodd dymor llawn yn dysgu technegau a dulliau newydd, ac fel y mae'n dweud "gan fwynhau pob munud".

Ar ôl dychwelyd i'r Deyrnas Unedig, symudodd i Lerpwl lle gweithiodd mewn sawl bwyty o safon uchel, gan barhau i ddatblygu ei sgiliau. Roedd ganddo o hyd ysfa am deithio'r byd, felly rhoddodd y gorau i'w swydd yn Lerpwl fel cogydd a phrynu tocyn un ffordd i Awstralia!

Glaniodd yn Perth yn 2011, ac yn fuan cafodd swydd fel Chef de Partie. O fewn mis, fe'i dyrchafwyd yn sous chef a chynigiwyd nawdd iddo, a ganiataodd iddo ennill cyfnod hyfforddi yn Awstralia. Parhaodd yn y "C Restaurant in the Sky" - unig fwyty sy'n troelli Gorllewin Awstralia - am chwe blynedd, gan ennill nifer o ddyfarniadau a gwobrau, gan barhau i adeiladu ar ei enw da fel cogydd o fri.

Cafodd yna gyfnodau fel prif gogydd mewn lleoliad glan y môr yn Perth, sef y Mullaloo Beach Hotel, a adwaenir hefyd fel The Wild Fig, lle'r arhosodd am dair blynedd, gan helpu i ddod â'r lleoliad nol i'w hen ogoniant.

Yn ystod y pandemig, cysylltwyd gyda Jonathan gan grwp o fuddsoddwyr - sydd yn cynllunio agor llawer o ganolfannau o'r radd flaenaf yn y blynyddoedd i ddod, i ymuno gyda nhw yn yr Iluka fel eu prif gogydd gweithredol.

Dywedodd: "Roedd yn heriol iawn dod yn chef gweithredol ag agor canolfan newydd yn ystod pandemig, yn enwedig gyda'r broblem ychwanegol o brinder staff. Fodd bynnag, gwnaeth fy mrwdfrydedd parhaus ar gyfer y diwydiant a ddarganfûm yn ystod fy hyfforddiant yng Ngholeg Llandrillo, fy sbarduno i lwyddo.

"Rydym wedi bod ar agor am bron i flwyddyn, wedi adeiladu tîm ardderchog ac mae gennym gannoedd o gwsmeriaid hapus. Rydym yn awr wedi prynu ein hail leoliad a fydd yn cael ei adeiladu a'i agor o fewn blwyddyn. Hoffwn ddiolch i fy holl diwtoriaid yng Ngholeg Llandrillo sydd wedi fy helpu a fy annog, gan fy ngalluogi i gael y fath fywyd gwych."

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am gyrsiau Lletygarwch ac Arlwyo yng Ngholeg Llandrillo, ewch i www.gllm.ac.uk,galwch y tîm Gwasanaethau Dysgwyr ar 01492 542 338, neu anfonwch e-bost: ymholiadau.llandrillo@gllm.ac.uk

Jonathan Evans’ culinary journey – which has whisked him from North Wales through Liverpool and Greece to Australia – has now seen him head-up a brand-new venue, The Iluka in Perth, where he gained the prestigious position of executive head chef in 2021. The Iluka is an exciting new food and beverage concept nestled between Ocean Reef and Burns Beach, right on the Indian Ocean.

Jonathan explained more: “My years in college were thoroughly enjoyable and gave me the skills needed to succeed in life. After I completed my Level 3 qualification, I decided to go out into the real world and work full-time. I worked in some amazing establishments around the Llandudno area in North Wales – including the Imperial Hotel, St Tudno and Queen’s Head - but I had a hunger to travel and see the world.”

He has large family shoes to fill, as he is the son of Mike Evans, who balances his time as a Hospitality & Catering tutor at the Rhos-on-Sea campus with his role as Welsh National Junior Culinary team manager. Mike’s vast knowledge within the hospitality industry was utilised in a recent episode of the BBC’s hit series ‘The Apprentice’.

Jonathan’s first port of call after completing his training at the college’s Rhos-on-Sea campus and leaving the family home, was Greece, where he worked a full season learning new techniques and methods, as he puts it, “loving every minute”.

On his return to the UK, he moved to Liverpool, where he worked in several high-class eateries, continuing to develop his skills. He still had a yearning to travel the world, so gave up his job in Liverpool as a chef and bought a one-way ticket to Australia!

He landed in Perth in 2011, and soon got a position as a chef de partie. Within a month, he was promoted to sous chef and offered a sponsorship, which allowed him to gain residency in Australia. He remained at the ‘C Restaurant in the Sky’ – Western Australia’s only revolving restaurant – for six years, gaining numerous awards and accolades, continually building his reputation as a top chef.

He then had spells as head chef at Perth beachside venue Mullaloo Beach Hotel, and also The Wild Fig, where he stayed for three years, helping to bring this venue back to its glory days.

During the pandemic, Jonathan was approached by a group of investors – who plan to open lots of high-class venues in the forthcoming years - to join them at The Iluka as their executive head chef.

He said: “It was very daunting to become an executive chef and open a new venue during a pandemic, especially with the added problem of staff shortages. Nevertheless, my ongoing passion for the industry which I discovered during my training at Coleg Llandrillo, spurred me on to success.

“We have now been open for nearly a year, have built an amazing team and have hundreds of happy customers. We have now just purchased our second venue which will be built and opened within a year. I would like to thank all my tutors at Coleg Llandrillo who helped me and encouraged me, enabling me to have such a fantastic life.”

For more information about Hospitality & Catering courses at Coleg Llandrillo, go to www.gllm.ac.uk

call the college’s Learner Services team on 01492 542 338, or email: enquiries.llandrillo@gllm.ac.uk