The Scottish Chefs Conference, Demonstrator chefs - William Curley

Running up to this year's Scottish Chefs Conference, we are talking to the demonstrator chefs taking part in this year's special ten year anniversary. Yesterday's demonstrator chef was Ruth Hinks, today we have William Curley. 

William Curley began his training at Gleneagles Hotel, before going on to expand his knowledge and skill set with a variety of top chefs in Michelin starred restaurants, such as Marc Meneau at L’Espérance in France, Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire, and Marco Pierre White at The Oak Room. Before he was 30, William became the youngest Chef Pâtissier at The Savoy, and has gone from strength to strength. He opened his first William Curley shop in 2004 with the aim of training and teaching young chefs and since then he has been awarded ‘Britain's Best Chocolatier’ by the Academy of Chocolate on multiple occasions, and his book, Couture Chocolate, won Cookery Book of the Year in 2012.

>>> Read: Our chat with William Curley about his patisserie and chocolate shops 

What does it mean to you to be at the 10th Scottish Chefs conference?

It is great to be going back for the 10th conference. Along with Tom Kitchin and Andrew Fairlie, I participated in the first one, ten years ago. It is wonderful how Willie Pike has evolved this event and I am proud to be a part of it.

Do you know what you are going to be cooking yet?

I will be demonstrating a chocolate tropical casket. Filled with dark chocolate mousse and rum diplomat cream, and served with a passion fruit sauce and coconut sorbet.

Chocolate, like wine picks up flavours of its surrounding environment. The flavours I have used in this dessert aim to take the cacao back to its terrior.

Why did you want to be involved with the conference?

I love Willie Pike, he was my teacher many years ago and has been a great inspiration ever since. I really admire his commitment to developing the next generation so am always happy to support his work.

Has something ever gone drastically wrong when you have done a demonstration?

When I was working at The Savoy, I was doing a demonstration at The Restaurant Show. My dessert was a Apple And Calvados Parfait With A Kiln Dried Cherry Sauce. After a demonstrating all of the components, I went to assemble the dish using pre prepared frozen parfaits which I had earlier placed in the freezer. To my horror, when I went to get them, I realised that the 'freezer' was actually fridge and my lovely parfaits were now a pool of cream! Luckily, one of my chefs organised a taxi from The Savoy to bring me some more.

By Katie Pathiaki