Members of the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa’s award-winning kitchen brigade have proved their incredible skills on an international platform by returning victorious at the International Salon Culinaire. The team – which included six competing chefs and two mentors – returned with 16 honours, including four gold medals.
“The International Salon Culinaire at the Great Hospitality Show is the UK’s largest and most prestigious chef competition programme,” says the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa’s executive chef Stefan Hogan. He acted as co-mentor to the team during the competition, alongside pastry chef Mark McBride. “It incorporated over 80 classes across four days, and it sought out the very best talent in the industry. Our team are proud to have been among them.”
The chefs that took part were Jonathan Zammit, Claire Giordmaina, Owen Bonello, Ryan Pisani, Reuben Borg and Victor Vella. The team walked away with golds in the Amuse Bouche (Zammit), Avocado Starter (Giordmaina), Prawn Starter (Bonello) and Complex Salad (Pisani) classes. They also received a number of silver, bronze and merit awards, while Zammit received a Chairman’s Special Award in Skills Theatre and Giordmaina achieved the highest scoring silver in the Junior Lamb class as a Special Award.
“Our chefs really did us proud,” continues Stefan. “They took on the challenge of competing internationally at a very high level, and they proved themselves every step of the way. They are now more motivated than ever, and eager to return to our kitchens to ensure the high standards they have set are exceeded every day within the Corinthia Palace restaurants.”
The brigade will compete again at the next edition of the International Salon Culinaire, in London, next March.