After impressing judges with their creative menus for a three-course dinner, the eight National Chef of Wales finalists are: runner-up for the past two years, Tom Westerland, Lucknam Park Hotel; 2016 finalists Matthew Ramsdale, The Chester Grosvenor and Matthew Smith, Hawkstone Park Hotel; Jake Mann, The Bull; John Quill, JQ Catering Services LTD; Dion Jones, Carden Park Hotel; Wayne Bernard, Pier 64; and Gavin Kellett, The Vine Tree.

Set over two heats, the chefs will have three hours to create a three-course dinner for four people in the finals, to be in with the chance of winning a study tour with Koppert Cress, £250 worth of Churchill products, an engraved set of Friedr Dick knives, and the national title.

Taking home a week’s work experience at a Michelin starred restaurant, a set of engraved Friedr Dick knives as well as automatically qualify for the Craft Guild of Chefs’s Young National Chef of the Year contest, the five junior finalists include: Harry Paynter-Roberts, Manchester House Restaurant; Arron Tye, Carden Park Hotel; Oliver Thompson, The Bull; Luke Jordan, Slaughters Manor House, and Martin Thomas, Marine Parade.

Culinary Association of Wales president, Arwyn Watkins, said: “We are delighted to have once again received applications from so many high calibre chefs for Wales’s top culinary contests and look forward to keenly contested finals in February.

“The Welsh International Culinary Championships is the perfect place for all the nation’s culinary competitions to come together for the first time. I welcome the co-operation and collaboration by the competitions’ organisers and it promises to be a fantastic showcase for culinary and hospitality skills over four days at Coleg Llandrillo Menai.”

Both finals will be held during the four-day Welsh International Culinary Championships at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Rhos-on-Sea, from 12-15 February 2018, which will also host the Battle for the Dragon contest and the Skills Competition Wales and Major International Regional Competition finals next year.