To compete against 66 countries, the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) had the privilege of representing Sri Lanka at the Young Chef Olympiad Competition 2016. Weenu Braun, a current student at the Academy took part in the competition as he visited Kolkata, India, and won the 13th position.

This was the second Young Chef Olympiad competition that was organised in India by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM). Culinary expertise was showcased during the 4 day cook-off as the countries battled each other. 67 Top Student Chefs, 67 Culinary Schools and 67 Countries; where the United Arab Emirates acquired the 1st place position with 80.9 points, Sri Lanka had a total of 71.2 points!

CAHM was invited to be a part of this competition after many surveys and research done by the organizers, as the Academy met their criteria in being of international standard in order to compete against well recognised culinary schools from around the world. This Competition was the brainchild of the owner of IIHM Dr. Suborno Bose, Prof. David Foskett and Chef Shaun Kenworthy and saw it all come to life in 2015. In 2015, CAHM represented Sri Lanka for the first time with our now Alumni Harsha Alahakoon, who was guided by our senior chef and the Brand Ambassador for Knorr, Chef Kapila Jayanetti.

In order to send the best culinary student to represent CAHM at the Young Chef Olympiad 2016, the Academy held an internal culinary competition where Weenu Braun won first place and also the opportunity to be the only student to represent not only the Academy but Sri Lanka.
In preparation for the main competition, Weenu had to practice every week along with Chef Surene, a teacher at CAHM who mentored him through this journey. Practicing to make 2 portions of main course dish in 90 mins whilst ensuring that he kept pre-planning, documenting and maintaining hygiene standards which was a challenging task.

With the support from his teachers and the CEO, Mr. Steven Bradie-Miles, Weenu has literally gone places and put Sri Lanka on the map! When we asked Weenu what his experience was like, he had this to say – “I learnt so much, everything I did on that day was all thanks to Chef Kapila and Chef Surene as I followed everything they said to the dot. The atmosphere was great and it was a good opportunity to mingle with so many equal minded contestants who were very friendly. This helped me capitalize on my strengths and to continue to be a team player. A special thank you to Mr. Surene for keeping me calm and helping me build my confidence”.

Chef Kapila Jayanetti shared some of his thoughts as well – “The dream continues until I bring the main Young Chef Olympiad trophy to Sri Lanka. At the moment, we are doing only fundamentals and to compete with many culinary schools, we need to keep at it! A special thank you to Mr. Errol Weerainghe – our Chairman, Mr. Steven Bradie-Miles – Our CEO and the Management as even for me, personally, this was a great opportunity and a great experience”.

CAHM would like to take this opportunity to thank Chef Buddhika Samarasekera, Executive Chef of Waters Edge for his guidance, and would also like to thank and acknowledge Chef Saman Wijeratne and Unilever Sri Lanka Limited – Knorr, for supporting Culinary Excellence through their sponsorship.

The Academy solely believes in encouraging and helping students achieve their ambitions and be successful individuals who will contribute to the economy of Sri Lanka and worldwide.
CAHM is on a hunt for the next student who will follow Weenu’s path of success and represent Sri Lanka next year at the Young Chef Olympiad Competition 2017. CAHM is in partnership with SLIIT and follows the William Angliss Institute, Australia curriculum. William Angliss is the specialist centre for Hospitality, Tourism, Foods and Events. Be a part of the CAHM family! Contact us now for inquiries on courses and intakes and grab the opportunity of being under the lime light as we give you the chance to shine in a career path in an exciting and rewarding industry. Call us now – 2407780 or mail us on info@cahm.lk and check us out on our website www.cahm.lk .