We had a chance to speak with her about her victory, as well as her culinary career. Here's what she had to say:
Who is the winner of the IACC Copper Skillet 2022?
Sofie Lidén is the chef who won the prestigious copper skillet award from the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). With three experienced judges, competition leader Chef Felix Maietta judged the contestants' dishes in five criteria: taste; presentation; working methods & hygiene. Of which Sofie got top marks for all parts she was assessed on!
We had a chance to speak with her about her victory, as well as her culinary career. Here's what she had to say:
-Congratulations on the win!!
Thank you very much!
-Can you tell us a little about yourself. Who is Sofie and when she's not winning culinary competitions and working as a chef?
My name is Sofie Lidén and I am originally from Kristianstad in Skåne. However, I moved to Uppsala after I took the student and started studying. Here I met my partner and stayed. In addition to cooking, I enjoy traveling, meeting new people and hanging out with friends and family.
-Why did you start competing in culinary competitions?
Ever since my culinary education, the competition has attracted me, I am an incredible competition person and think it is very fun to compete. When I started working at Sigtunahöjden, I was introduced to Copper Skillet when two other colleagues were to take part in the competition. So already in 2017 I lined up, but then I didn't go all the way. Then I felt that I wanted revenge and here we are now.
-Tell us about the competition you have won, the IACC Global Copper Skillet Competetion, what kind of competition it is and how it differs from other competitions.
IAAC Copper Skillet Competition is a competition for meeting and conference chefs who are connected to the IACC network. It starts with national competitions and then you move on to first the European final and then the world final. The competition is different from others due to the structure of the competition. Firstly, you do not know which produce you will be allowed to use and secondly, you have limited time (only 30 minutes) and limited tools (only two gas plates and few tools) to use.
-How do you train forea competition that has a mystery box?
The training is for me very mental, to be prepared that anything can show up in both protein and vegetable way. Then it is important to keep track of how long different steps take and how you can streamline those steps.
-What kind of support do you need as a competitor from your workplace, friends, family, colleagues, to be able to win?
Support from friends, family and colleagues is of course incredibly important. Knowing that support probably means that you can enter the competition with extra confidence and feel that you have people who believe in you. I am incredibly happy and grateful for all the support I have received and had with me through all the competitions and through the finals of course.
-Whats next, which competition will you enter in the future?
The future feels bright, this feels like an incredible springboard for future competitions and challenges. What comes after this I do not really know yet, I will land a little in this before I start planning for what comes next.
-If anyone is considering running the IACC Global Copper Skillet Competetion, what tips would you give that person?