A team of chefs from the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Attard recently took part in the biyearly Hotelympia competition, the UK's largest foodservice and hospitality event.

During the four-day event, Chef Jonathan Zammit won a gold medal for his Amuse Bouche and a silver medal in Caesar Salads, while Chef Mark McBride placed second in Chocolate Sculpting, Chef Rueben Borg was awarded two silver medals (one in Amuse Bouche and the other in Fish Filleting), and Chef Mark Tabone got a bronze medal in Caesar Salads and another in Duck Filleting.

"The experience was extremely rewarding," says the Executive Chef of the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, Stefan Hogan. "We were incredibly happy with these wins, and were pleasantly surprised that the team won a special Chairman's Award from the Skills Theatre Judges. These results are incredibly promising and we're already looking forward to taking part again in two years' time, which is when the next Hotelympia will take place."

While in London, several of the hotel's chefs also had the opportunity to spend time doing cross-exposure at the iconic Dorchester Hotel, during which time they worked in a number of its kitchens, including at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Alain Ducasse and the high-end Cantonese restaurant, China Tang.

"The link between the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa and the Dorchester was set up by Professor Emeritus David Foskett, MBE, who is a member of the Academy of Culinary Arts and the Craft Guild of Chefs," continues Chef Stefan.

"While there, some members of our team had the opportunity to work in some of the UK's busiest and best kitchens, with Chef Jonathan spending a total of three weeks there. I also met up with the Executive Chef of the Dorchester, Henry Brosi, to discuss further opportunities for our chefs."

Chef Stefan is now also working with Professor Emeritus Foskett to set up an apprenticeship scheme for the chefs of the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa. "Both the experience at The Dorchester and Hotelympia have inspired many of our chefs, both junior and senior, to become more creative, raise our already-high standards, and to compete in both national and international competitions," Chef Stefan says. "Nevertheless, we couldn't be prouder of the results, particularly when considering that we placed in all the categories we entered at Hotelympia."

The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa's kitchen brigade's stellar performance at Hotelympia comes after an incredibly busy period, which, over the past couple of months, saw them handle some very important projects, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Heads of State Dinner for CHOGM.

The Chefs are now gearing up for their next two big events, which will be Easter Sunday at the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, and the Afternoon Tea Dance on Sunday 24 April at the historic Villa Corinthia, which will bring back the glamour of the Edwardian high-tea in spectacular surroundings.