Coleg Menai student cooks for top chef Chris Summers at Eisteddfod yr Urdd

He recently blew judges away at this year’s CogUrdd cooking competition for 16-to-25-year-olds at the Eisteddfod yr Urdd festival, on Anglesey.

Ruben, aged 17, was chosen as one of only seven young chefs from all over Wales to make it to the big final.

The pressure was on during the live final, where the competitors had just two hours to cook two dishes completely on their own. The challenge required everyone to make a main course using Welsh pork along with potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. They also had to whip up an apple dessert that featured both a hot and a cold element.

Ruben decided to create a menu that celebrated his own roots by mixing local Welsh ingredients with classic Swiss cooking styles. For his main dish, he made a crispy, herb-crusted pork schnitzel.

He spent months practicing with different cuts of meat before choosing pork loin, which he sourced from OG Owen butchers in Caernarfon. The local butchers were incredibly helpful and even gave him some professional tips.

“Going to OG Owen butchers to get good quality Welsh Pork was very important for me. When I spoke to the staff they were very helpful. They talked to me about my dish and I got some quality advice on getting an extra crispness and flavour on the schnitzel”.

He served the schnitzel with a potato, carrot, and parsnip gratin layered with a Swiss cheese sauce and a touch of spice. Showcasing his skills and thinking of sustainability, to make sure nothing went to waste Ruben used the leftover root vegetables from his gratin to make a fresh coleslaw to serve with his dish.

His hard work paid off when head judge Chef Chris Summers tasted the dish and called it a “perfect gratin”.

“I was so pleased and inspired by his positive comments,” said Ruben.

For dessert, Ruben hand-crafted apple roses that were baked with apricot jam and cinnamon sugar. To hit the brief of using hot and cold elements, he served the warm pastries with local Anglesey honey and a cold, hand-whipped vanilla cream. He even picked out special green and red striped plates from Portmeirion to match the official colours of the Urdd.

Even though Ruben was the youngest and least experienced person in the final, competing against older students who were further along in their college journeys, he was incredibly proud of what he achieved. He says the fantastic feedback he received from a professional chef has given him a massive confidence boost.

Ruben wants to encourage other students to give competitions a go.

“I would strongly recommend anyone studying even if you are at level 1, to take part in competitions like this because you learn so much from those you compete against, as well as the feedback from a professional chef,” he said”.

“I would like to thank everyone who has been part of my journey in this competition, especially my mum and dad for eating and giving me feedback on so many pork dishes over the past months whilst I prepared and practiced for the competition,” added Ruben.

Coleg Menai Chef-Lecturer Iolo said: “Ruben has enjoyed his year at Coleg Menai, learning the fundamentals of cooking. Ruben is a diligent and ambitious learner; he created an innovative menu that reflected his diverse Welsh and Swiss heritage, making a schnitzel dish and using local products and suppliers.

“I'm very proud of Ruben for representing Coleg Menai at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Ynys Mon so well, he received excellent feedback from Chef Chris Summers and I'm sure it was a worthwhile learning experience for him. Da iawn Ruben!"

Ruben is looking forward to returning to Coleg Menai in September to progress to the Level 2 Professional Cookery course.

If you are interested in a career as a chef, there’s still time to start your story with us this September. Visit our website to see the range of hospitality and catering courses available across the Grŵp: https://www.gllm.ac.uk/courses/hospitality-and-catering