Are you the next Junior Chef of Wales?

The Welsh Culinary Association has launched for 2015 its bi-annual competition to find the best junior chef in Wales.

As well as the prestige that comes with the title, the lucky person crowned Junior Chef of Wales wins is an all-expenses paid trip to represent Wales at the Junior Forum at the World Association of Chefs’ Societies Congress in Athens, Greece, May 2016.

The competition is open to chefs at least the age of 17 and under the age of 23 of Welsh decent, or who work or study in Wales. To enter, chefs must submit a menu for a three course dinner for four persons, using a selection of Welsh products. Entry costs £15 and includes membership of the Culinary Association of Wales for a year.

From the submitted menus, a panel of judges will select up to five chefs to enter each regional heat, where they will have three hours to cook their dishes. The winners of each heat together with the two highest scoring runners up will then compete in the final at the Welsh International Culinary Championship at Coleg Llandrillo on February 16th 2015.

Reigning Junior Chef of Wales champion Chris Tull considers that three courses in three hours is “not a lot” compared to how many dishes a chef is expected to turn out in a restaurant kitchen, and encourages all ambitious young Welsh chefs to enter. However, he added, “the dishes have to be the best they can be in terms of taste and presentation to stand any chance of winning.”

For Chris, winning the competition last year was brilliant for his career and national exposure. “It gave me a sense that all the hard work had finally paid off,” said the 24-year-old head chef of Signatures Restaurant at Aberconwy Resort and Spa. “It’s recognition of all the training and long hours in the kitchen learning new skills and gaining experience.” Chris is set to captain the Junior Culinary Team Wales at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg from November 22nd to 26th, against 15 national junior teams.

Organised every two years by the Culinary Association of Wales, the Junior Chef of Wales contest is sponsored by the Welsh Government to promote the Food and Drink Wales brand.

The Culinary Association of Wales is a partnership of professional chefs and caterers whose aims are to develop and raise the culinary profile of Wales, its establishments and those working within them through greater awareness, education and training.

Entry costs £15 and entries must be submitted by 30th November by post or email. An entry form is available here.

By Stuart Armstrong