The Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), which organises and holds the three-day Welsh talent and food and drink showcase at ICC Wales from January 20-22, has announced the finalists of the National, Junior and Vegan Chef of Wales 2025 contests.

The National Chef of Wales final will be contested by ten chefs. Sam Everton, who is a catering lecturer at Coleg Ceredigion, is bidding to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales competitions in consecutive years. The only chef to achieve this feat was Danny Burke who now runs Olive Tree Catering.

Wayne Barnard, who works at Llechwen Hall Hotel near Pontypridd, will be hoping to improve on his third place last year while Matthew Owen and Rebekah Wright who both work at the Celtic Manor Resort return for another shot at the final.

Other finalists include Patrick Millard from Bargoed; Ionut Rosca from Newport; Gareth Jenkins from Fleur de Lis; Pratik Bhandarkar from Newport; Sam Rust from Swansea and Jordan Howorth from Baschurch.

In the final the chefs will be given three hours to cook a three courses for 12 diners featuring GI Welsh ingredients and Cygnet Gin. The menu must include a plant-based starter suitable for a vegan diet, a main course featuring two different cuts of GI Welsh Beef and a dessert featuring hot, cold and chocolate elements and a biscuit or tuille.

The Welsh Vegan Chef of the Year final challenges chefs to cook an appetiser with 50% warm components, a main course with a minimum of three components, including microgreens and a dessert including chocolate, tea and two fruit puree products.

The Junior Chef of Wales finalists will be given two-and-a-half hours to cook a three course pescatarian meal for six diners with a plant-based starter suitable for a vegan diet, a main course featuring Chirk Farm Trout and a dessert including one hot and one chocolate element.

The winner will be automatically seeded into the UK semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year. Winners of all three competitions, together with the Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year, will be announced at a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony to close the WICC on the evening of January 22.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins, OBE, said: “It is great to see so much culinary talent taking the time out of their busy schedules to enter our National Chef, Junior Chef and Vegan Chef of Wales 2025 competitions.

“The quality of entries was outstanding and I am looking forward to not only seeing the chefs’ menus being cooked but also tasted. This year, the general public has the opportunity to enjoy the dining experience on a first come first serve basis.”