FROM winning the Junior Chef of Wales to working in one of London’s top restaurants - life is plentiful for one Llandrillo chef.
Berwyn Davies, 23, has worked as junior soux at a London restaurant owned by Denbigh chef Bryn Williams since October 2009.
On hearing Berwyn had moved to London, Bryn asked him to join the team at Odette’s on Primrose Hill.
“I love working with Bryn,” said Berwyn.
“I was really excited when the opportunity came up.
“I first met l him when I was 19 and I won the Junior Chef of Wales competition, where Bryn was on the judging panel.
“We are similar in quite a lot of ways, especially in terms of our aspirations and attitudes towards cooking,” he added.
The former Ysgol Berwyn pupil who grew up in Llandrillo has worked in a professional kitchen for the past eight years, working at four large restaurants: Tyddynllan, Plas Bodegoes, La Trompette, and now Odette’s.
Before that he studied at Dollgellau College for a NVQ level 1,2 and 3 in cookery.
“I started cooking when I was at 16 years old in Tyddyn Llan, it was a great first job and I worked there for four years,” he said.
“Under the guidance of chef Bryan Webb he showed me how to respect good produce and get the best flavour from ingredients.
“After he shared his knowledge of food with me I know I wanted to be a chef.
“I loved to go shooting, hunting and fishing with my father so food is always something that I’ve always taken an interest in,” he added.
Berwyn said he is ‘really enjoying’ living in London, with so much to see and ‘lots of great’ places to eat, but he does admit to missing North Wales.
“Especially the open air and being able to walk out of the house and go for a walk in the fields,” he said.
“I also miss the peace and quiet and being able to relax and go fishing whenever I want.”
Berwyn said he has learned ‘so much’ from Bryn “Especially with regards to butchery.
“I’ve also been more involved in the admin side of things such as paper work, so I’ve gained a better understanding of how to run a restaurant.”
Berwyn has high hopes for his future, and hopes to come back to Wales.
“In five years time my aim is to have a restaurant in Cardiff,” he said.
“Cardiff is the only capital in the world without a restaurant with a Star, my aim is to get it."