Bryn Williams hosts exclusive Chef’s Table experience for local school students

Celebrity chef Bryn Williams hosted a Chef’s Table experience for local schoolchildren as part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Tourism Talent Pathfinder project.

The event, at Bryn’s Porth Eirias restaurant, included a gourmet three-course meal and a Q&A session giving students the chance to grill the world-renowned chef.

Students from schools across Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Ynys Môn attended the glitzy bash, as well as Level 1 Hospitality and Catering learners from Coleg Llandrillo.

All had been specially invited after showing dedication and promise in their culinary studies.

Bryn, who first learned his craft at Coleg Llandrillo, said: “Events like this are so important because we want to get as many young people into our industry as possible, and this is a great way to give them a glimpse of it before they go from school to college.

“Doing this kind of event is also very important for the local industry as well. We need more talented and creative people in our industry.

“For North Wales, tourism is what we’re all about. So when we get visitors here we need great restaurants, pubs, cafés, bakeries, butchers - we need it all. So the importance of the event is to highlight what North Wales has to offer, from ingredients to the skill set that they’ll learn in college.”

Bryn, who won the Great British Menu television show in 2006, said the skills he learned at Coleg Llandrillo gave him a head start when he moved to London and began working for globally-renowned chefs Marco Pierre White and and Michel Roux Jr.

“I knew it was a good college when I was there,” he said. “I had some great lecturers there - Mike Evans, Brian Leather, David Phillips. I went to Holland for work experience, did a competition, so you knew you were getting great experience.

“But when I left to go to London, that’s when I realised how good my education was at Coleg Llandrillo. I was already doing it for Marco Pierre White - I was cooking at the highest level, and I could actually hold my own, and that was all down to Coleg Llandrillo.”

At the Porth Eirias Chef’s Table, Bryn was asked by students about his career, his favourite dishes to create, and what advice he had for young people interested in the hospitality sector.

He said: “Find out which path you want to go down. It could be a café, a restaurant, a pub, a brasserie, a bakery. Once you find what makes you happy, stick at that for three or four, five years. That first job is the most important thing, so you get the real roots of your trade.

“Remember, always go to work somewhere where you know you’re going to further your education, so you know you’re going to leave with better skills than when you went there.”

Students and their teachers were treated to a starter of Welsh beef croquette with celeriac remoulade, a main of baked halibut with mash and a mushroom and bacon dressing, and the popular Porth Eirias baked Alaska with orange marmalade and Christmas pudding ice cream. There were also vegetarian options of a beetroot tart with a potato and cheese mousse starter, and wild mushroom wellington main.

Schools attending were Rhyl High, Denbigh High, Ysgol David Hughes (Menai Bridge), Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones (Amlwch), Ysgol John Bright (Llandudno), Ysgol Aberconwy (Conwy), Ysgol y Creuddyn (Penrhyn Bay), Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan (Abergele), Ysgol Friars (Bangor), Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen (Bethesda) and Ysgol Tryfan (Bangor).

Mandy Florence, head of food and nutrition at Ysgol David Hughes, described the event as “Absolutely fabulous - such an amazing experience for our learners”.

She added: “The food was lovely and the service was amazing. Opportunities like this for our young people are really important, and hopefully we see more events like this. I have one young lad with me tonight who doesn’t necessarily know what he wants to do after school, but he’s a great food student and it’s great for him to see the opportunities that are available.

“They’ve got their practical exams coming up just after Christmas, so they have to plan, prepare and cook three courses with accompaniments. It was great to be able to say, ‘Think about the portion control, look at the way it’s been presented, look at the balance of textures and tastes. So it was also a really good experience for them as exam preparation.”

Morgan Hill-Gardener, a Year 10 student at Ysgol John Bright, said: “I didn’t expect to be invited to an event like this, I was so chuffed to be invited. I really enjoyed it - the meals were beautiful, Bryn’s really nice. I love the idea of this, and it would be nice to work here one day!”

All schools attending have been involved in Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Tourism Talent Pathfinder project. Funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the project aims to inspire young people and raise awareness of the long-term hospitality and tourism career opportunities in North Wales.

Earlier this term, the Tourism Talent Pathfinder project visited schools to give students a taste of the hospitality industry through demonstrations, interactive workshops and cooking challenges.

Throughout December and January, the project will offer schools invaluable work experience opportunities within prominent businesses, while also celebrating North Wales' unique heritage, focusing on bilingualism, using local produce, and the use of social media in tourism marketing to create a sense of place.

For more information about Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Tourism Talent Pathfinder project, click here or visit tourismtalentpathfinder.gllm.ac.uk