A Machynlleth chef will be on a mission to save his country’s culinary heritage and traditions when he attends the World Heritage Cuisine Summit and Food Festival in India next month.

Gareth Johns, head chef at The Wynnstay Hotel, Machynlleth, will represent the Culinary Association of Wales at the event to be held at Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar, Punjab from 11-15 October.

He will do so alongside Chris Bason, head of the hospitality business unit at Cambrian Training Company, Welshpool.

Their role will be to promote Welsh food traditions and heritage at the event, the first of its kind organised by the Worldchefs’ World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee.

They have chosen four traditional Welsh dishes for the event – lamb faggot, mashed potato and peas, Welsh cake, a two stage Welsh cawl and Anglesey eggs.

Worldchefs, which represents more than 12 million chefs from 108 countries around the globe, is concerned that ethnic cuisines and culinary heritage are increasingly in danger of being lost.

Mr Johns, whose only previous visit to India was on a tiger watching expedition, said: “I have always wanted to go back to India, so attending the World Heritage Cuisine Summit will fulfil a long-standing ambition.

“I am proud and honoured to be selected to represent Wales at such an important event. I believe very strongly in being a guardian of culinary traditions because it’s part of our heritage.

“In these busy times, when people are looking for shortcuts, it’s important that we don’t let the old skills die out. I am looking forward to networking with chefs from around the globe and spreading the word about Welsh cuisine.”

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