Scots chefs take silver at Culinary World Cup

A team of top Scottish chefs served up a winning menu at the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg.

And they brought home a silver medal for Scotland as part of the world-wide competition.

Trump Turnberry’s award-winning pastry chef, Andrew MacKay, joined part of the seven-strong Scottish team at the prestigious culinary event, which played host to the world’s most esteemed chefs.

Andrew, who has worked at the iconic, five-star Trump Turnberry for more than five years, helped showcase the very best of Scottish hospitality and cuisine, which featured seasonal Scottish ingredients at the heart of each dish.

Competing in a culinary cook-off against over 45 teams from across the globe over a five-day period, the Culinary World Cup saw the team’s skills and nerves being tested fully amid the tense atmosphere of the event.

Carefully crafted to showcase their world-class abilities, the competition consisted of a three-course fine dining menu, designed to demonstrate the culinary team’s craft skills and display techniques.

The fine-tuned menu, created by the Scottish team, consisted of seared scallop-stuffed razor clam with charred cucumber, a sea herb and seaweed butter sauce, Scotch Beef fillet, crispy beef cheek, wild mushroom, watercress-truffled celeriac and a jus and chocolate mousse with sea buckthorn, hazelnut and poached pear.

Andrew said: ‘It was such a great honour to pick up a silver award at such a prestigious culinary event – particularly given we were competing against some of the world’s most renowned chefs. It was a real team effort and one that I’m incredibly proud to be part of.

‘We wanted to create a menu that was reflective of the fantastic suppliers that we are fortunate to have here on our doorstep in Scotland. Having worked at Trump Turnberry for more than five years, I felt I was fully prepared to deliver a truly five-star service that would impress.

‘For 2019, I am already thinking about what we can do to improve and hopefully bring home a gold next time for Scotland.’