Athlone chef to compete in final of prestigious cooking contest

This weekend the final of what's described as "Ireland's premier cooking competition for professional young chefs" will take place, and Athlone is represented among the six finalists.

Marcell Palfalusi of Thyme restaurant in Athlone made it through to the decisive stage of the Euro-Toques 'Young Chef of the Year' competition, which is open to those under the age of 28.

Fourteen chefs competed in the semi finals, which were held at the Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock in June, and Marcell was among the six who made it through to the final this Sunday (October 8).

The locally-based chef is originally from Hungary. He has been living in Ireland for a decade, and has been working in Thyme for close to two years now.

John Coffey, proprietor of Thyme, said reaching the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year final was deserved recognition for Marcell's ability in the kitchen.

"He has been a pleasure to get to know and to work with during the last two years. We are all extremely proud of him and delighted he has reached the final.

"It is a huge achievement and a testament to his hard work and dedication to what he does," said John.

The other young chefs competing in the final are Adam Walsh from 1826 Adare (Limerick); Conor Morrissey from Glovers Alley (Dublin); Leticia Miranda from Mae restaurant (Dublin); Matthias Beuque from Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (Dublin); and Shauna Murphy from Terre (Cork).

At the semi final stage, the 14 competitors were set two separate tasks - a skills test based on a classic pastry recipe, and a mystery basket which involved creating a dish including three key elements: vegetables, pulses or grains and Irish raw milk cheese.

The organising committee also asked the chefs to consider an environmentally friendly approach to food, highlighting how kitchen practices all over the world can contribute to greater environmental awareness.