News

Entries open for National and Junior Chef of Wales competitions

21 Oct 2026 2 minute read

Junior Chef of Wales Caitlin Meredith (L) and National Chef winner Dion Wyn Jones

Nation.Cymru staff

Chefs are being invited to compete for the National and Junior Chef of Wales titles, with entries now open for the 2027 competitions.

The finals will take place at the Castell Howell Trade Show at ICC Wales in Newport, with the junior contest on January 19 and the senior competition the following day.

Organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), the competitions will find successors to current champions Dion Wyn Jones and Caitlin Meredith.

Applications close at midnight on November 30. Entrants must be of Welsh descent, working in Wales or studying for a catering or hospitality qualification in the country.

The senior competition is open to chefs aged 24 or over on January 20, 2027. Junior entrants must be aged between 17 and 23 on January 19.

To enter, chefs must submit their own three-course menu for four people, including recipes. Judges will use the applications to select the finalists.

Those who reach the finals will have three hours to prepare, cook and present their dishes in front of an audience, using ingredients sourced from principal sponsor Castell Howell Foods.

Both competitions require menus featuring at least eight Welsh products with geographical indication (GI) status.

Senior entrants must prepare a wild sea bass starter, a main course using two different cuts of GI Welsh Beef, and a dessert featuring seasonal fruit, chocolate and a biscuit or tuile.

Junior chefs must use sustainable Welsh fish or seafood for their starter and two different cuts of GI Welsh Lamb for the main course. Their dessert must also include seasonal fruit, chocolate and a biscuit or tuile.

The Junior Chef of Wales winner will automatically qualify for the UK national semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year competition.

Colin Gray, CAW vice-president and chairman of judges, said: “The standard will be high and competition will be fierce in both finals.”

He added: “Previous National Chef of Wales finalists have included leading chefs from across Wales and beyond, with the competition providing a platform for them to demonstrate their skills, creativity and passion for Welsh food.”

Chefs can submit their applications through the Culinary Association of Wales website.

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