Two young catering professionals in Macao joined World Young Chef Young Waiter Competition
The World Young Chef Young Waiter Competition took place in Monaco from 15 – 16 November. Two young catering professionals in Macao, William Wang Weicheng and Mondass Velautham, joined twelve other contestants from different countries and regions to contest the global championship. They also engaged in the Educational Day of the program to expand their expertise.
Step into the world from Macao
The semi-final and final of the Young Chef Young Waiter Macao Competition 2022 were held in September and October successively. After the two rounds of competition, culinary management trainee of Wynn Macau, William Wang Weicheng, and Director of Pronto of Wynn Palace, Mondass Velautham, won the top awards as the local Best Chef and Best Waiter. They then set off for Monaco to join the World Young Chef Young Waiter Competition. Coming from seven countries and regions including England, Cayman Islands, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Singapore and Macao, 14 young chefs and catering servers aged under 26 with a minimum of three years of hospitality experience were pit against each other for the global accolade.
Priceless experience in international contest
The 14 chefs and waiters teamed up into seven pairs, each of which designed a menu teeming with unique gastronomic characteristics from their countries or regions. Within the set time frame, each chef prepared five sets of their designed three-course meal including the appetizer, main course and dessert for lunch tasted by VIP guests, assessment of judges and photoshoot. The judges scored waiters over their coping with different scenarios for serving patrons, answers to interview questions, Vodka cocktail creation and table setting. The competition lined up twelve prominent judges including Michelin Star chef Jason Atherton to choose the Best Chef and Best Waiter.
Precious training opportunities
The two-day program featured not just the exciting competition but also the Educational Day one day ahead, when 14 international contestants listened to presentations on Monaco hospitality and Vodka, as well as an introduction delivered by GREAT Campaign, the supporting entity. Celebrated English chef Mark Sargeant, and Adam Handling from the judging panel for the Best Chef, enlightened contestants with their perspectives gained as head chefs, while two of the Best Waiter judges, Simon King and Andy Downton, shared their experience in serving guests, among other sessions.
The award ceremony of the World Young Chef Young Waiter Competition was held yesterday (16 November). Following the fierce competition, the chef and waiter from Wales brought home the championship, followed by the teams from Singapore and England in second and third place. Although the Macao contestants did not win in the competition, William Wang Weicheng and Mondass Velautham widened their horizons and gained valuable experience in this competitive exchange with other international talent, which propelled their attainments of greater culinary expertise, catering service knowledge and skills.
Support for the next generation to join the catering service industry in Macao
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) supports industry events to encourage young catering personnel’s reach for higher expertise and international competitiveness, to advance the development of the catering industry and quality tourism services. The Office will push forward Macao’s development as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in accord with the action plans and join hands with the trade to steer Macao’s tourism industry towards diversification and sustainability.
