The final was held at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo at ICC Wales in Newport – the first time this global event has been held in the UK in its 98-year history. The event held by Worldchefs in partnership with the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW).

Junior Culinary Team Wales captain and 2025 Junior Chef of Wales winner, Calum competed against seven other talented chefs in the final. The chefs had three hours to cook a three-course meal for four people to a challenging brief. The final was won by Norway’s Trym Karlson with Yi Hsuang Hung from Taiwan second place.

Calum’s menu opened with butter-poached halibut loin, citrus glazed and puffed quinoa crunch, kohlrabi and prawn cerviche parcel, Cygnet Gin, compressed cucumber salad, shellfish emulsion, whipped avocado mousse and caviar, espellete pepper tuile, butter sauce split with shiso leaf oil.

Main course was charcoal roasted veal loin, glazed golden beetroot filled with Black Bomber and sticky shallots, hispi cabbage parcel filled with smoked pancetta and leek fricassee, beer braised Roscoff onion, butter-poached asparagus, sticky veal sweetbread and veal jus.

Dessert was 70% Valrhona Guanaja chocolate crémeux layered with strawberry and lemon verbena curd sat on puff pastry, whipped vanilla and mascarpone, glazed honey financier with a sesame tuile, compressed strawberry with marigold and lime and Earl Grey strawberry ice cream.

Smith said: “I’m ecstatic to finish third and put Wales on the map in a competition against countries that are very strong at this level. I gave it my all and it’s a massive result for Wales and for me and my team.

“Sodexo and Matthew Warburton, my manager, have helped me so much and I have had valuable feedback from chefs within the association. This trophy is a credit to them and all my family who have helped me.”