Three became Icelandic champions in culinary and service disciplines over the weekend

The Icelandic Championship for Students and Apprentices in the Restaurant Trades took place at the Hotel and Food School in Kópavogur last Saturday. The competition is an extremely important platform for young people in the culinary and service trades, where professionalism, precision, creativity, and resilience are put to the test. The judges commented that the decision had rarely been as difficult as it was this year.

Seventeen competitors in culinary arts

A total of seventeen competed in culinary arts, and Andrés Björgvinsson emerged as the Icelandic Champion. The Students of the Year were Marlís Jóna Þórunn Karlsdóttir and Sindri Hrafn Rúnarsson. For the appetizer, competitors worked with plaice, Icelandic shrimp, and green asparagus, and for the main course, the task was to cook pork tenderloin and pork belly, Jerusalem artichokes, and a dark stock sauce. In the culinary arts category, Jakob Hörður Magnússon was the head judge and a tasting judge. The tasting judges were Ólöf Jakobsdóttir and Hallgrímur Friðrik Sigurðarson, and the kitchen judges were Rafn Heiðar Ingólfsson and Kjartan Marínó Kjartansson.

Extensive and exciting competition in food and beverage service

Five competed in food and beverage service, and Daníel Árni Sverrisson emerged as the Icelandic Champion in the category. The Students of the Year were Tristan Tómasson and Silvía Louise Einarsdóttir. The tasks were extensive and traditional, as usual. Students drew lots for two cocktails, tried their hand at wine pairing, set the table for a four-course dinner, created a flower arrangement, made ten different napkin folds, identified 10 different glasses of fortified wines, and decanted wine. Competitors then had to demonstrate their skills in carving and plating in front of the judges, as well as show fruit carving and flambéing. The judges were Sigurður Borgar Ólafsson and Axel Árni Herbertsson.

Careful work in butchery

The competitors in butchery worked meticulously and were given quality ingredients to work with. Two competed in butchery, and Ásbjörn Geirsson became the Icelandic Champion, while the Student of the Year was Friðrik Björn Friðriksson. The tasks involved butchering a leg of lamb, a lamb rack, ½ a forequarter, 1 pork forequarter, 1 beef hip, 1 beef prime rib, and 1 chicken, which the competitors were to prepare according to their own ideas. The judges in butchery were Stefán Einar Jónsson and Jóhannes Númason.

Thank you for the support

Special thanks go to the sponsors of the competition, as the competitors enjoyed quality ingredients and good facilities from Esja, Gæðafæði, Bakko Verslunartækni, Ekran, Expert, and Hafinu Fiskverslun. Special thanks also go to Icelandair and the Hotel and Food School, SAF, and Matvís. The framework and organization of the competition were handled by Magnús Arnar Friðriksson from Matvís and Pétur Örn Pétursson from Iðan.