Limerick chef Charlie cooks up a storm at global contest in China

A RATHKEALE man cooked up a storm in Shanghai, beating chefs from 45 other countries to land two prizes at a prestigious competition.

Twenty-two year old Charlie Ward jetted off to China to represent Ireland at the WorldSkills Competition in China.

A culinary student at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Charlie secured third place and a bronze medal in the cookery contest, with a score of 730 points.

It followed four intense days of competition against some of the world’s leading young culinary talent.

Charlie was also named Best of Nation for Ireland, an honour presented to a competitor from each country.

In the competition, he was tested across a demanding range of culinary arts, including knife skills and butchery, bistro cooking, fine dining, as well as blind taste and smell assessments.

Among the dishes he prepared were roasted gnocchi with Parmesan sauce, red pepper chutney, basil and Parmesan foam; roasted fillet of beef with glazed lobster, pomme Lorette, turned asparagus and carrot, and lobster bisque; taro root ice cream with poached persimmon, persimmon caramel and pistachio biscuit; and a Parmesan sablé biscuit with mushroom ragù and pickle gel.

Speaking to Limerick Live, Charlie revealed he had a passion for cooking from a young age, and looked up to celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.

He started experimenting with different flavours at home in a bid to emulate what they were doing.

“My mother used to encourage me. She got me a little silicone knife set to be working away with. When I turned 15, I went on work placement at the Woodlands House Hotel in Transition Year. It was my first experience in a professional kitchen and I loved it,” he added.

His passion grew from there, and for the last few months, he has been working towards competing in this year’s international WorldSkills event.

The largest showcase of skills in the world, people with all kinds of trades take part, from plumbing, to carpentry, to welding and cheffing.

A huge event, it attracts 300,000 visitors each day, and 48 judges run the rule over those taking part.

It was Charlie’s category which attracted the largest number of entries.

When his name was called to the podium, he admits he was “bawling”.

While he was the only member of the 16-strong Irish contingent to win a medal, he says his teammates were also emotional for him.

"We were like a family over there. We were so close. The stress of the competition was insane. The nerves are immense, the pressure is insane. You are training for three or four months. When you're across there you need a support system. We cried, laughed, let off steam together. My first reaction was to give everyone a big hug," the Rathkeale man added.

He is grateful to an army of supporters, including WorldSkills Ireland cookery expert Alan McCabe, skills competitions manager Sean Owens, his mum and dad, Majella and Brian, girlfriend Clodagh, plus his TUS lecturers Jim O’Meara and Eithne Gavigan.

He also thanked all his friends.

Charlie, who has studied for a level seven culinary arts degree, then a level eight in culinary entrepreneurship, was back at the TUS campus last week, where he received a guard of honour from his coursemates.

Although he won’t graduate for a few more weeks, he’s already embarking on a promising career in the kitchen.

This week, he starts work as a chef at one of Dublin’s top restaurants, the Michelin-starred Glovers Alley.