Tasked with preparing savoury and sweet canapés for 250 guests, the seven chefs – leader Michael Bates, CAW president Arwyn Watkins, Mike Ramsden, Chris Bason, Ioan Lewis, Colin Gray and Danny Burke – also had to “deliver the true flavour of Wales.”
Savoury dishes included: Welsh rarebit; balsamic, beetroot and Perlas tartlet; pulled Celtic Pride beef and cockle and smoked salmon fritter with lava bread mayo.
This was followed by mini pancakes; rhubarb compote and crushed honeycomb and Welsh cake with strawberry gel and clotted cream.
Team leader Michael Bates said: “We were all proud to represent Wales and it was an amazing experience to showcase our nation’s food.
“Everybody seemed to enjoy the canapés and we had very good feedback from the Prime Minister, Alun Cairns (Secretary of State for Wales) and officials. The PM had a chat with each team member and congratulated us for making the effort to travel to London to put on a great reception.”
Speaking on the night was PM Theresa May: “Tonight, let’s celebrate the very best of Welsh life and, of course, the very best of Welsh food and drink!
“Every year, millions of people are seeing for themselves just how much Wales has to offer. That includes myself and my husband, who are regular visitors to Snowdonia. We love to go walking there.”
Cairns added: “Today’s reception is all about celebrating everything that Wales has to offer to the world and there is indeed much to celebrate.
“We are a proud nation and a special part of the UK. We have Welsh entrepreneurs, inventors and creative people leaving an indelible mark all around the globe, each overseeing Wales’s tremendous renaissance in sport, cuisine, arts and business.”