Chef Liam serves up culinary gold at contest

AFTER ten years of trying, Lurgan chef Liam McEvoy has finally served up a gold medal winning dish at an Irish cookery competition.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Mar 2013, 08:00 BST
Two trainees with West Belfast Charity NOW celebrate after winning medals at the 2013 Catex Exhibition last week (February 19)  Irelands largest annual Foodservice event. Brendan Donnelly (left) took Gold in the Ability Award category of the competition while and Iain Wilson (right) took Bronze. The two trainees are pictured with award-winning Chef Liam McEvoy from The Stables restaurant in Lurgan who mentored Brendan and Iain in the run up to last weeks event.Two trainees with West Belfast Charity NOW celebrate after winning medals at the 2013 Catex Exhibition last week (February 19)  Irelands largest annual Foodservice event. Brendan Donnelly (left) took Gold in the Ability Award category of the competition while and Iain Wilson (right) took Bronze. The two trainees are pictured with award-winning Chef Liam McEvoy from The Stables restaurant in Lurgan who mentored Brendan and Iain in the run up to last weeks event.
Two trainees with West Belfast Charity NOW celebrate after winning medals at the 2013 Catex Exhibition last week (February 19)  Irelands largest annual Foodservice event. Brendan Donnelly (left) took Gold in the Ability Award category of the competition while and Iain Wilson (right) took Bronze. The two trainees are pictured with award-winning Chef Liam McEvoy from The Stables restaurant in Lurgan who mentored Brendan and Iain in the run up to last weeks event.

And not only did Liam pick up a medal himself at the Catex cooking showcase in Dublin but one of the chefs with learning difficulties who the Lurgan man had mentored also picked up a gold medal.

Liam, who is based at The Stables Restaurant in Lurgan, told the ‘MAIL: “I’m over the moon to get the gold at last. I’ve been at this competition for 10 years and I’ve had silvers and bronzes. I said I wouldn’t stop until I got a gold. I thought I was going to be grey and wrinkly by the time I got a gold.”

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Liam got the gold in the Chicken Saute category for his classic chicken chasseur. He also got a bronze for Gastropub Chef of the Year and a certificate of merit in the Open Fish category.

He said: “I actually thought my fish dish was my best and the chicken chasseur was very simple, but it just goes to show it’s all down to the judges on the day.”

Two of Liam’s trainees Brendan Donnelly and Iain Wilson, both from north Belfast, took gold and bronze respectively in the ‘Ability’ category of the awards which is open to cooks with learning disabilities.

Liam said he is equally as proud of Brendan and Iain’s achievements as he was his own.

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The Lurgan man thanked his family and friends for their support during the competition.

Having got the gold Liam will now be concentrating on his studies. He’s doing a foundation course at Newry College with the aim of becoming a teacher and passing on his culinary knowledge.