Team UK finished day 1 of EuroSkills 2025 quietly confident after completing some of the more challenging tasks of the three-day European skills competition in Herning, Denmark.
UK restaurant services competitor Yuliia Batrak, from Grwp Llandrillo Menai, said her first task was the coffee service element of her competition, which she was least looking forward to.
“I had to come out with my signature coffee recipe, a black forest gateau iced latte. My mum used to make it in my childhood, so I was inspired by this,” she said.
Batrak also had to deliver an afternoon tea service and serve a prawn cocktail.
“It was very busy, but when you’re in the competition, you can’t feel how time goes,” she added.
The next two days will be less stressful for Batrak, as she looks forward to her fine dining test tomorrow, and cocktail making on the final day “just for a little celebration to end this competition”.
Batrak works at St George Hotel in Colwyn Bay, Wales and combined with studying, she said participating in WorldSkills competitions made her manage her time better so she can still socialise.
Batrak’s family fled the war in Ukraine in 2022, and she began studying catering and hospitality at Grwp Llandrillo Menai when her family moved to Wales.
“I’m so extremely proud of myself to be able to compete in the scale and represent such a great country as the United Kingdom. And also I feel like I’m kind of privileged to compete with the best people in restaurant service from whole Europe.”
Meanwhile, Luke Roberts, Team UK’s welding competitor was also proud of his first day on the EuroSkills floor.
Roberts, who is an apprentice with Haven Engineering and studies at Pembrokeshire College, said he “surprised himself” on the first day, mainly because his first task was welding aluminium.
“I don’t like welding it whatsoever. It’s not my biggest fan at all,” he said.
“It’s the hardest one to weld out of all of them, but I surprised myself and they came out better than I thought it would so I was happy.”
Roberts was also up against welding four test pieces, all out of carbon steel, but he’d only ever practiced one before.
“One wasn’t too bad, but the other three I’d never done and I surprised myself as well as they came out not too bad too,” he added.
Opening ceremony pride
Both competitors were beaming after last night’s opening ceremony.
Roberts, who had never flown before, said last night was also another first.
“It’s like a once a lifetime opportunity. I’ve never been on stage before. Just got to take it all in and hear everyone clap and cheer and it’s nice feeling,” he said.
Batrak added: “Oh, my goodness, the opening ceremony is something that I’ll never forget in my life because the amount of people, cameras, lights and everything, you feel like you’re part of something huge, and you feel like you’re not living your life.”
She said she was even more looking forward to the closing ceremony with more people and hopefully a gold medal as well.
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