Chef becomes first from Wales to receive major global honour

A Welsh chef has received one of the culinary world’s highest honours after helping bring a major international food event to Wales.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, president of the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), received Worldchefs Honorary Life Membership – the first for a Welsh chef — at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026.

The highly selective honour recognises individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the culinary profession, as well as the goals of Worldchefs.

The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, was founded at the Sorbonne by Auguste Escoffier in 1921.

New members are inducted every two years at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo, a tradition that began in 1928, when the inaugural title was bestowed upon the founder Escoffier.

There are only 86 living Honorary Lifetime Members, despite Worldchefs having a global network of 10 million chefs.

Alan Palmer, chairman of Worldchefs Honorary Life Members Committee, said the award recognised Mr Watkins’ extensive career.

Mr Watkins has worked as a professional chef in the British Army, received an OBE in 2018 for his contribution to education and training in Wales, and has been dedicated Worldchefs events for 10 years, leading to the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026.

A farmer’s son from Llanwrtyd Wells, he served his apprenticeship and spent 14 years in the Army and worked for Stena Line and a Kent catering college before returning to Mid Wales to join Cambrian Training Company in 1998.

Passionate about culinary skills, he coached the Junior Welsh Culinary Team to a Culinary Olympics gold medal in 2004.

Mr Watkins, who also received the Worldchefs President’s Medal in 2018 for promoting the advancement and profile of culinary arts in Wales, said: “It’s a huge honour to receive this honour and to be recognised for my contribution to the industry throughout my career.

“It’s a first for Wales and helps to raise the profile of the Culinary Association of Wales and the country’s world standing. Bringing the Worldchefs Congress & Expo to Wales sets the platform for the next generation of chefs to take the CAW forward to a bright future.”

The Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026, which has attracted 800 chefs from around the globe to ICC Wales, Newport, is being held in the UK for the first time in its 98-year history.

Securing the event for Wales was Mr Watkins’ goal from the moment he was elected CAW president 11 years ago.

Wales lost to Singapore by just four votes in their first bid to stage the 2024 event, which was supported by a video message from King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales.

It was second time lucky when Wales secured this year’s event, winning a vote against Italy. The next event, in 2028, returns to its birthplace in Paris to celebrate its centenary.

Over the course of its history, Worldchefs Congress & Expo has been hosted in 39 cities around the globe. The 2026 was held at the ICC Wales from May 16 – 19. For more information on this year’s winners, visit the WAC site here.