The team at the Talbot Hotel Clonmel are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement by their colleague Chef Malith Madushan , who has earned a gold medal for his starter and main course at IFEX 2026’s prestigious Salon Culinaire competition.
This is one of the most respected stages for culinary excellence across Ireland and the UK.
IFEX’s Salon Culinaire brings together leading chefs, hospitality professionals, and emerging talent to benchmark their skills against the International Standard for Excellence.
This year’s show was officially opened by renowned chef and restaurateur Niall McKenna, underlining the event’s reputation for championing innovation and mastery within the hospitality industry.
Competing among some of the finest culinary professionals, Malaith impressed judges with his creativity, technical precision, and bold flavour combinations.
His award-winning dishes showcased both elegance and imagination:
His gold medal starter – 'Signature Ocean'
Features tender octopus tentacles with chilled prawn sausage and sake court bouillon, poached monk tails with marinated vegetables and mango salsa, deep-fried shiso, lobster bisque, and squid ink dust.
His gold medal main course – 'Woodland Trio'
Features hot smoked Thornhill duck breast roulade, honey-glazed layered chicken with mushrooms, mixed nuts and carrot pavé, sous vide stuffed turkey roll with colcannon and leek “toffee”, buttered vegetables, natural poultry essence, cranberry gel and berry crumble.
Judges praised the dishes for their balance of flavour, refined presentation, and modern technique hallmarks of top-tier competition cooking.
“This is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to Malaith’s passion, flair and dedication to his craft,” said Michael Boyle for the Talbot Hotel Clonmel. “To achieve gold at such a prestigious event is truly exceptional. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Malaith’s success reflects not only his own hard work and talent but also the hotel’s ongoing commitment to culinary excellence and professional development within its kitchen team.
The entire Talbot Hotel Clonmel & Talbot Collection community congratulates Malaith on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to welcoming guests to experience his award-winning creativity firsthand.