It’s been a productive time for WACS, with even more in store during the next few months. I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the exciting events taking place.

I’m extremely pleased to announce the introduction of WACS’ Train-The-Trainer Pilot Program. Train-The-Trainer provides a win/win scenario, matching culinary experts to the needs of other countries. Sessions explore culinary basics and principles, and we’ll assess feedback for our future wide-scale launch. The Pilot Program will initially focus on six countries, each still in the selection process. This effort is truly at the heart of what WACS stands for by uniting our skills and fostering educational and professional development opportunities for our fellow members. These efforts are made possible by the generous support of Custom Culinary.

In the coming months, watch for the announcement of our first ever Global Master Chefs Certification, the highest official recognition attainable, to be presented at the Dubai Congress.

The Hans Bueschkens Junior Competition will take place at the 33rd Congress to be held in Dubai. This exciting event will test the abilities of 20 promising young chefs. This competition is graciously sponsored by Custom Culinary.

We have also been hard at work coordinating the Women In WACS program, which provides a rewarding forum for growth and mentoring opportunities. If you haven’t yet visited this new area on the WACS website, I invite you to discover our featured Chef updated each month and made possible with the support of Unilever.

Finally, as I write this letter, our Continental Competition finals for the Americas is taking place in sunny Orlando, Florida. The competition is proving to be incredibly exciting and we are again thankful for Unilever’s generous sponsorship for this initiative.

WACS will continue to maintain and improve culinary standards of global cuisines, placing a premium on education, training and professional development. I want to personally thank you for your membership and program participation.


Ferdinand Metz, CMC

President

World Association of Chefs’ Societies

The SYCC is a non-profitable organization that supports our young chefs in Shanghai. The SYCC is formed in order to further develop the culinary standards within Shanghai.

Shanghai Young Chefs Club.pdf

Seven teams cycled some 700 kilometres south to Helsinki from Rovaniemi on the Finnish Arctic Circle. The relay legs varied from 25–60 km and over 200 fans of Finnish food took part. The teams were made up of farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers in the public domain. The goal was to remind consumers, food industry professionals, and indeed each and every one of us about the importance, taste and freshness of locally produced food.

At the closing event on 31st August, arranged to take place after all the teams had completed the relay, a common call for local food was submitted to Jari Leppä, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture and Forestry. The end of the relay marked the beginning of nationwide local food weeks running to the end of September. The President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, is patron of both the relay and the local food weeks.



Essi Laamanen

Dear All,

 Greetings!

 Sri Lankan Junior Chefs Club has a blog, you can visit it at www.sljchef.blogspot.com. 

 Also, visit the Chefs Guild Lanka site at www.chefsguildlanka.com.

 I have uploaded the Information Pack for the SLJCC Information Package which you can easily downloaded by clicking here. http://sljchef.googlepages.com/WholeDocumentInfomationPackSLJCC.pdf

 Best culinary regards,

Alan Orreal

WACS
Global Chef CHallenge
Central Europe Semi Final 2007

8 Teams gathered in Budapest from Tuesday, September 24th to Friday 27th for the Central Europe Semi Final of the WACS Global Chef Competition.

This competition was the brain child of WACS President Ferdinand Metz (USA) and it is designed to see who is the best chef in the world.

The preparation for this competition had been on going since the WACS Congress which was held in New Zealand in March 2006. Each WACS Member Country of Central Europe could nominate or have held their respective final and now teams have come together for the Semi Final with the winner is going on to Dubai for the World Global Chefs Challenge Final in May 2008.

Austria was represented by Chef Hans Peter Fink from the Sacher Hotel in Vienna, Czech Republic with Chef Jan Horky from Restaurant Rybi trh (FishMarket) in Prague, Germany with Chef Holger Mootz, Restaurant Alte Bootswerft and Smokery Rügen Rauch, Hungary with Chef Attila Bicsár from Restaurant Alabárdos in Budapest, Luxembourg with Ladychef Corinne Colles from Grand Hotel National Lucern, Netherlands with Chef Toine Smulders Chefpatron of Restaurant Cuisine Villa Copera in Tolkamer and Switzerland with Chef Friederich Zemanek, Chefpatron from Restaurant Walliser Kanne in Fiesch.

Each competitor were permitted to bring with them as assistance a student/apprentice to help with basic tasks in the kitchen.

The judging panel also has a big International flavour with Milan Sahanek from Czech Republic, Lázlo György from Hungary, Frank Widmann from Germany, Wynand Vogel from Netherlands and Adrian Bader from Switzerland, all of them are WACS approved Judges. WACS also provided the Head Judge and Observer for the competition with Axel Ruehmann..

The teams gathered with the judges the day prior to the cook off, they were greeted by the WACS Continental Director of Central Europe Reinhold Metz and the President of the Hungarian Chef Istvan Petö. They  welcomed all teams to Budapest and thanked Chef Dènes Sandor for his role in organising the competition as well as thanked the Helpers and Sponsors.

Competitors were then given a briefing and overview of the DO’S and DON’TS for the competition by the Head judge Axel Ruehmann, once the boxes had been seen, they were given a wine matching with food seminar and then they had to hand in their menus, teams then had the opportunity to research recipes in their own time.

On the Wednesday morning the competition started, and then the heat was well and truly turned up inside the kitchen, competitors were given a staggered start as each course were to be put up in 5 minute intervals with a penalty of 1 point per 2 minutes late per course.

The Judges decided in case of the closeness of the results that the following Chefs all will be placed on 3rd.

Chef Hans Peter Fink from Austria,  Chef Jan Horky from Czech Republic, Chef Holger Mootz from Germany, Chef Attila Bicsár from Hungary, Ladychef Corinne Colles from Luxembourg, Chef Sebastian Krauzowicz from Poland.

2nd place was awarded to Chef Friederich Zemanek, Chefpatron from Restaurant Walliser Kanne in Fiesch Switzerland.

“…and the winner is:”
Chef Toine Smulders
of Restaurant Cuisine Villa Copera in Tolkamer, Netherlands

Winning Chef Toine Smulder with his Assistant Robert Hartelmann framed by WACS CD Reinhold Metz and Istvan Petö, President Ugnarian Chefs Association

The Winning Menu

Jelly of smoked Duck Breast with
Red Beet and Apples Tower
surrounded by Vanilla Oil

Pan seared Pikeperch with
Duxelles in Spinach Leave
On Red lentils with Carrots and Ginger

Lamb Loin in Herb Crust
Potato and Goat Cheese Terrine
Minisquash and puree of Yellow Bell Pepper and Peas

Chocolate – Pistachio – Tartelett
with Walnut Sabayon

At the award presentation in the wine cellar of the world well known Hungarian Restaurant “Gundel”, which was a fantastic frame WACS CD Reinhold Metz thanked all participants on their great effort, and passed on his congratulations to the Hungarian Chefs Association in particular to Denes Sandor and his Chefs team, the Exhibition Managing Director Maria , and the Sponsors. He also recognized the importance of an International judging panel lead by Axel Ruehmann.

Overall the competition was a great success for Hungary and the Central Europe region, and now it is on to Dubai. 3 TV teams where working in the Competition area and the German TV will show a 25 Minutes take from the contest at VOX Channel at 4th of November 2007.

This year’s Egypt Food & Beverage Cup 2007 live cooking challenge will serve as the selection round for Egypt’s participation to the Chef’s Team Grand Prix competition scheduled to take place in Istanbul from 13 till 17 December. The winning team of the Egypt Food Beverage Cup 2007 will represent Egypt at the Grand Prix competition in Turkey. Airline tickets and accommodation will all be taken care of for the chefs representing Egypt in Turkey.

The selection competition Egypt Food & Beverage Cup 2007 will take place at the ECA live cooking kitchen and restaurant at HACE’07 scheduled take place from 7 till 10 November at the CICC. The Food & Beverage Cup 2007 for the overall best performing team as well as special prizes for teams with the best service and hygiene practices will be awarded by the Egypt Tourist Federation.

The aim of the Egypt Food & Beverage Cup is to encourage young professionals to work and compete in a team environment, performing a creative culinary challenge from live cooking of a three-course menu for 6 people from a mystery basket with ingredients, to table decoration and service.

For more information, please click: http://www.egyptchefs.com/eCompNationalRulesHace.asp