Click here to watch team’s pep talk on October 18.
“We can do what we like and what we think is cool and interesting – or we can go to win … We are here to win.”
Those were the words that members of Junior Culinary Team Canada heard from their team manager, Canadian Food and Wine Institute dean Craig Youdale three-and-a-half years ago when they first assembled as a team; and those were the words they heard on October 18, just days before representing Canada at the Culinary Olympics.
The pep talk came on the team’s second day in Germany. Youdale told the team that they already possess all the ingredients they need for success. He assured them that all the work they have put in, all the skills they have acquired and the experience they have gained over the past few years has been to prepare them for the challenge they are now about to face: the Culinary Olympics.
“You’re not going to achieve anything you haven’t already done. You don’t have to go faster. You don’t have to do anything different. Everything you are going to do over the next seven days you have done ad nauseam,” he said. “These next seven days, you will learn why we have gone through what we have gone through in the last three-and-a-half years.”
Team captain Ben Lillico said the team responded positively to the pep talk. “He kind of gave our focus for the week and making sure we were on task and taking to heart the seriousness that we need from each team member … we have done this thousands of times in different scenarios, locations, packing and unpacking, and planning, and logistics,” he said. “This is the last hurrah of planning and executing it.”
In addition to hearing from their manager, the team heard from chef professor and coach Olaf Mertens who spoke about logistics, ingredients and planning. They tasted local ingredients in preparation for scaling and shopping which will occur during the next few days.
All of this took place at Stranzl catering kitchens, where the team will be practicing during their stay in Germany. The large industrial kitchen supplier and caterer is located just outside the city centre of Weimar, where the team’s hotel is located.
At Stranzl, the team was greeted warmly by the owner Helmut Stranzl and by a culinary team from P.E.I. who is also in Germany to compete as professionals in the regional division. The junior culinary team will also be using the kitchens at Stranzl alongside Hong Kong’s national team, expected to arrive on October 19.
Team captain Lillico reflected on the team’s second day in Germany. “We are working on just getting settled in still, making sure we are all well rested and drinking lots of fluids,” he said. “At the catering kitchen, we are working out of tasting and testing some of the products we are working with, seeing what sort of substitutions that we need to make due to the products that are available here.”
As he looks forward to the days ahead, Lillico has a bright outlook.
“I’m extremely confident on what we as a team can produce. Each person has done every piece correctly, we’ve all seen each piece made to 100% percent of how we want it to be,” he said. “Now all we need to do is cook good food and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Team members taste local ingredients at Stranzl kitchens on October 18.
Key dates
Opening ceremonies: October 21.
Competition Day 1 (edible buffet): Oct. 22
Competition Day 2 (three-course luncheon) on Oct. 24
Closing ceremonies: Oct. 26.
Cheer on Team Canada
Follow the team’s progress on twitter at @ncjrculinary, on facebook at @jrculinary, Instagram @jrculinarycanada, and on their website ncjrculinaryteamcanada.ca
Send text and video messages of encouragement to Junior Culinary Team Canada via social media using the hashtag #NCtasteforgold, #NCjrCulinaryTeamCA or #myncstory.
