Angel Moreton poses with selectees Ana Lucia Vic Katella and celebrity Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Frederic Wong and Amber Heaton.
Australian chef Amber Heaton and New Zealander Frederick Wong have made it to the finals to participate in the VI competition in Valladolid in November.
Australian chef Amber Heaton and New Zealander Frederic Wong will participate in the VI World Tapas Championship in Valladolid in November alongside the National Skewers Competition. Valladolid company e-Spain, in collaboration with Ignite Colleges and Valladolid City Council, organized the IV Oceania Tapas Competition with 27 chefs from Australia and New Zealand.
After a year of being unable to host the event due to strict restrictions in New Zealand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Oceania Tapas Competition has finally taken place. “For the fourth time, tapa, a unique aspect of our gastronomy, crosses our borders and ends up in the Antipodes,” underlines Angel Moreton, manager and founder of e-Spain.
A total of 27 chefs from New Zealand competed head-to-head to represent the continent at the VI World Tapas Competition in Valladolid from November 7 to 9 in Auckland. Jasbir Kaur, Vice-President of the New Zealand Chefs Association, coordinated the event held at the prestigious Iginite Colleges Culinary School.
Contestants have to perform seven penances live. The dishes were evaluated by a panel of judges that included Angel Moreton, from Valladolid, who lives year-round at opposite ends of his city; Simon Gould, one of New Zealand’s most popular chefs for his long career and time on various television channels; Representative of Nestlé and representative of Unox Oven Company.
Food Food is a private channel with over 500 million viewers
The jury was presided over by Sanjeev Kapoor, a renowned Indian chef in his country. Chef Kapoor owns Food Food, a private channel that airs in over 120 countries and has over 500 million viewers. He has been on air for over 20 years and is undoubtedly the best reference of Indian cuisine in the world. The award ceremony was attended by Spain’s Business Adviser in New Zealand, Ana Lucia Vic Catella and Ambassador of India in Auckland, Pau Dhillon.
For the first time in the competition’s history, a representative from Australia managed to take first place with his salmon and cucumber ceviche, radish mousse and yuzu gel. Amber Heaton, a young chef from Cucina Vivo restaurant in Brisbane, convinced the jury and won a place to represent her country in the VI World Tapas Competition organized by the Valladolid City Council.
For his part, Frederic Wong, ranked second from Boni Restaurant in Auckland city, made it to the podium and won a place to represent New Zealand. Thanks to his ‘Ash Dog’ Tappa, inspired by traditional South Island cheese rolls, he uses local ingredients such as prawns and scallops seasoned with onion ash and black garlic.
The World Tapas Championship in Valladolid is an added value for the Spanish brand abroad.
With a four-year history, this championship gives an international boost to the Valladolid tapas competition and represents added value for the Spanish brand abroad. Spanish gastronomy is considered one of the cultural heritage and tourism engines of our country and includes it as a means of access to foreign markets. Undoubtedly, this event helps to continue to increase the image of our country and its cuisine on both continents, but also to establish the name of Valladolid as an international gastronomic destination.
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