Matusz-Vad also supported the team that just missed out on the podium at the World Pastry and Culinary Championships in Luxembourg in early December which was preceded by two years of intensive training. Zsolt Haraszti and Dávid Jakabfi were interviewed about the excitement and the challenges.
Although this was the first time that the six-strong team had competed as a team on the international stage, they worked together in a harmony that few others can match. The mastermind behind the idea was Patrik Kocsis, currently freelancing and formerly working in the kitchen of Erhardt Restaurant, who assisted Zsolt Haraszti during the two Bocus d'Or. The team was eventually pulled together by Tibor Németh, and then completed by With David Jakabfi, with Rita Baranyák and Gabriella Honfiné Rákóczy, who contributed to the result with their confectionery creations.
A year and a half of brainstorming, half a year of practice
The work was made difficult by the fact that they all work in different parts of the country, but they still remember this time as a fantastic experience. „It took us almost a year and a half of brainstorming and dreaming up a concrete menu. During this time, we travelled to each other's places whenever we could, and of course we kept in touch and made a lot of phone calls. Of course, some elements were already prepared during this time and we experimented a lot. The live practice started in the 6 months before the competition. After we fixed all the elements of the menu, we cooked the whole thing twice a month,” says Zsolt. And that meant a lot of food, as we had to prepare a 3-course meal. starter, an 8-person meat tray with a garnish, with sauces and salad, a 5 course menu, 4 dessert on a plate, as well as the petits. Of course, the different dishes had to meet different criteria, but the two most important were that they had to be able to serve up to 100 people and that they had to keep their original shape for 12 hours.
Race against time and effort
The Hungarian national team literally practiced until the last minute. On Friday, they tried the food one last time. At 10pm they set off in two trucks and two cars, taking turns driving to Luxembourg. They arrived on Saturday afternoon and, after only a few hours„ rest, the unpacking and preparation began. The gates were opened at 5 a.m. and everything had to be ready by 7 a.m. So they only had two hours to get everything ready. Zsolt said that overcoming the fatigue was the most difficult part, while David said that the race itself was the biggest challenge. "The truth is that I don't really like competing. Places are not important for me, so I had to step out of my comfort zone. That said, I really enjoyed the competition, but the biggest recognition was when pastry chefs from all over the world came up to me to congratulate me on my work, which was a fantastic feeling. For me, it was worth going for that and the team spirit.
The whole profession has joined forces to get out
It's no secret that participating in competitions like this can cost a lot of money. From the entry fee itself, to the ingredients, to the cost of running the kitchen. „The fact that we were able to go to Luxembourg is entirely thanks to the professional teamwork. In my twenty-five years in the business, I've made a lot of contacts and, of course, a lot of friends. Some of them contributed with ingredients to the competition, such as Saliverzum or Chef's Garden. Sopron provided the kitchen for the training. Still others, such as my business partner Gianni, or Matusz-Vad, supported me with money, while Coninvest with kitchen technology. One of our students, Kornél Németh, was also a great help throughout the trip, and Róbert Németh helped with the travel. Gabi's husband, Krisztián Honfi, also a pastry chef, gave us professional advice. Everyone really helped us in any way they could, and we are very grateful for that.” - says Zsolt
They don't mind the mistakes
It's important to know that the Pastry and Culinary Arts Exhibition is a competition with a 50-year history, with rules set in stone and, to today's eyes, perhaps a little outdated. „This is a white tablecloth, white plate competition. We wanted to stand out, so I asked a friend to make us some custom ceramic plates to make some of our dishes even more spectacular. Although the judges liked it a lot, it turned out to be a bad decision.” - says Zsolt. „We wanted to be innovative, and although we knew it was a very dubious proposition, if we hadn't tried it, it wouldn't have been us.” - adds David.
This, of course, does not discourage them from further competitions, and they are preparing for the Cooking Olympics, which will take place in Stuttgart in 2024.
