Top chef helps school cooks
Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Top chef inspires Carmarthenshire’s school cooks
Carmarthenshire’s school cooks have been inspired to look at food creatively by a top chef who has worked for Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay and the Roux Brothers.
Sri Lankan chef Lahiru Jayasekara was invited to talk to cook supervisors about new ideas and creative ways of cooking as part of Carmarthenshire catering service’s marketing development programme with comprehensive schools.
He gave demonstrations using local fresh produce, and spoke to the group about his experience in the catering industry – working his way up the ladder from a beach café in Sri Lanka to pot washing for Gordon Ramsay.
The 24-year-old currently cooks at the Le Manoir Hotel, Oxford, for Raymond Blanc, and hopes to gain Michelin accreditation in the near future, which will allow him to run a top-quality restaurant of his own.
His story was all the more inspiring as he lost his home, and almost his family, in the devastating Tsunami of 2004.
Sandra Weigel, Catering Services Manager, said: “Larry’s talk was inspirational. His experience proves that cooking can be a fantastic career with so many wonderful opportunities.
“His story, that you can achieve anything you want as long as you work hard and persevere for it, was highly motivating.
“Our cooks enjoyed his talk, and have learned a lot from him.”
Cllr Pam Palmer, executive board business manager, said: “It is wonderful that we are able to invite inspiring people like Larry to talk to our staff and motivate them to really enjoy their work.
“Serving meals to thousands of teenagers in school canteens every day can be hard work – so motivating cooks to think differently about the way they not only cook, but market their meals, is very important.”
Picture caption: Sri Lankan chef Lahiru Jayasekara with cook supervisors from comprehensive schools across Carmarthenshire.
Carmarthenshire’s school cooks have been inspired to look at food creatively by a top chef who has worked for Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay and the Roux Brothers.
Sri Lankan chef Lahiru Jayasekara was invited to talk to cook supervisors about new ideas and creative ways of cooking as part of Carmarthenshire catering service’s marketing development programme with comprehensive schools.
He gave demonstrations using local fresh produce, and spoke to the group about his experience in the catering industry – working his way up the ladder from a beach café in Sri Lanka to pot washing for Gordon Ramsay.
The 24-year-old currently cooks at the Le Manoir Hotel, Oxford, for Raymond Blanc, and hopes to gain Michelin accreditation in the near future, which will allow him to run a top-quality restaurant of his own.
His story was all the more inspiring as he lost his home, and almost his family, in the devastating Tsunami of 2004.
Sandra Weigel, Catering Services Manager, said: “Larry’s talk was inspirational. His experience proves that cooking can be a fantastic career with so many wonderful opportunities.
“His story, that you can achieve anything you want as long as you work hard and persevere for it, was highly motivating.
“Our cooks enjoyed his talk, and have learned a lot from him.”
Cllr Pam Palmer, executive board business manager, said: “It is wonderful that we are able to invite inspiring people like Larry to talk to our staff and motivate them to really enjoy their work.
“Serving meals to thousands of teenagers in school canteens every day can be hard work – so motivating cooks to think differently about the way they not only cook, but market their meals, is very important.”
Picture caption: Sri Lankan chef Lahiru Jayasekara with cook supervisors from comprehensive schools across Carmarthenshire.
Comments