Taking place during the four-day Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) last week, the National Chef of Wales final was split into two heats, where the six chefs were given three hours to prepare and cook a three-course menu for four people using Welsh ingredients “wherever possible.”

Westerland - who was up against fellow chefs Dion Wyn Jones (30), Matthew Ramsdale (25), Matthew Smith (34), Gavin Kellett (33) and John Quill (45) – said: “I am lost for words, to be honest. Having seen everyone else’s impressive dishes, I wasn’t confident of winning and I was very nervous waiting for the result to be announced.

“This award means everything to me and it shows what three years of hard work, perseverance and development can do for you.”

His dishes included: a starter of Glamorgan sausage, heritage beetroot salad, glazed pecans and beetroot ketchup; Welsh Wagyu beef, beer braised onion, cavolo nero, black trumpette, crispy onion and Lapsang souchong for main and a Penderyn Whisky cheesecake, Bramley apple, blackberry sorbet and hazelnut crumble to finish.

As well as the winning title, Westerland took home a three-day, all-inclusive culinary tour in Holland with Koppert Cress including a masterclass from a two-star Michelin chef and cooking for the company’s chief executive, £250 worth of Churchill products and an engraved set of Friedr Dick knives.

This was the third time that the 26-year-old chef has competed in the National Chef of Wales and the second chef from his establishment, Lucknam Park, to win the award.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Arron Tye celebrated his Junior Chef of Wales win which automatically qualifies him for Craft Guild of Chefs Young National Chef of the Year contest semi-final, as well as a three-day, all-inclusive culinary tour with Koppert Cress in Holland too.

He cooked a starter of pan fried Anglesey scallops and seabass fillet with tortellini, charred Welsh baby leeks, pickled onion cups, leek puree and onion broth; Rhug Estate organic pork fillet wrapped pancetta served with sage and onion sausage glazed young carrot, pot roasted savoy cabbage and orange and carrot puree for main, followed by Blodyn Aur rapeseed sponge with Gwynt y Ddraig cider apples, honeycomb tuile, loganberry cremeux and blackberry ice cream dessert.

Having impressed judges during the three hours he had to produce the four-cover, three-course meal, Tye said: “I have always wanted to win this award and hopefully I can go forward to the National Chef of Wales final in the future. I hope this award means that I am going to do great things and move up with my career.”

Runners-up were Oliver Thompson (19), Luke Rawicki (20) and Thomas Martin (21).