To participate, entrants must submit their “own creative menu for a three-course dinner” to the Culinary Association of Wales, and be of either Welsh descent or working or studying there. For the National Chef of Wales, entrants must be over the age of 23, and between17 and 23 on 1 February 2018 for the Junior Chef of Wales.

Both contests involve two regional finals (taking place in November), with the two winners and runners up from each going through to the final rounds at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) on 12 and 15 February respectively.

The National Chef of Wales winner will receive a study tour to Holland with Koppert Cress, £250 worth of Churchill products and an engraved set of Friedr Dick knives, while the junior winner will receive a week’s work experience with executive chef of the Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa, Simon Radley, and a set of Friedr Dick engraved knives too. He/she will also automatically qualify for the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year competition.

Arwyn Watkins, Culinary Association of Wales president, said: “The Welsh International Culinary Championships is the perfect place for all these competitions [the National and Junior Chef of Wales] to come together for the first time.

“I welcome the co-operation and collaboration by the organisers of all the competitions and look forward to showcasing culinary and hospitality skills over four days at Coleg Llandrillo Menai.”

For more information, or to download the entry forms, visit: http://www.welshculinaryassociation.com/index.php/competitions/ http://www.welshculinaryassociation.com/index.php/competitions/.