Television crews from Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands recorded the event and journalists from the Washington Post, New York Times and specialty food magazines wrote about it. “The chefs were more eager to win this year than ever. This proves the competition is being taken seriously by culinary professionals,” says one of the event organizers, restaurant owner and master chef Siggi Hall.
Fried Liquorice and Cooked Lettuce
An important spin-off from the Food and Fun Festival is the improvement of culinary standards in Iceland. Students from the Icelandic Hotel and Culinary School in Kópavogur take an active part in the festival and the cooking competition itself. Students host a lunch for the chefs and judges at the school the day before the competition. The students get to try recipes, cooking techniques and styles they learn from the visiting chefs, such as fried liquorice and cooked lettuce.
Focus on Wine
Nine waiters from the school waited on tables in the competition. Bárður Guðlaugsson, director of the Faculty of Waiters, says the school must stay alert and anticipate new trends. “Increasing use of wine has prompted us to focus more on educating our students about wine as it is imperative for waiters to be able to advice guests what wine suits different kinds of food.”
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