Community

Welsh International Culinary Championships to showcase best of Wales

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2025

AROUND 150 talented chefs, front of house staff, apprentices and students from across Wales will showcase their skills over three days of competitions at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) 2025 next week.

The International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in Newport will become the Welsh hospitality, butchery, food and drink hub from Monday to Wednesday, as competitors seek to make a name for themselves on the national stage.

Welsh Culinary Association National Chef of Wales Competition at the ICC Wales. Picture by Phil Blagg Photography. PB005-2024

Four coveted national titles will be at stake as well as Skills Competition Wales glory at the WICC which hosts a Castell Howell Food Show for the first time.

The WICC is open free of charge to visitors, including pupils of local schools. Visitors can pre-book tickets to experience the dishes cooked in three finals at: [email protected] .

Organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), the WICC will feature the National Chef of Wales and Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year Finals on Monday, Skills Competition Wales competitions on Tuesday and the Vegan and Junior Chef of Wales Finals on Wednesday, followed by the awards dinner in the evening.

WICC skills classes, organised by the CAW, will also be held over the three days.

The National Chef of Wales final will be contested by 10 chefs. Sam Everton from Llangeler, Llandysul, a catering lecturer at Coleg Ceredigion, Cardigan, will be bidding to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales competitions in consecutive years. The only chef to achieve this feat was Danny Burke, from Connah’s Quay who now runs Olive Tree Catering, Runcorn.

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

They will line up with Celtic Manor Resort colleagues Patrick Millard from Bargoed, Ionut Rosca from Newport, Gareth Jenkins from Fleur de Lis and Pratik Bhandarkar from Newport.

The other finalists are Sam Rust from Swansea, who works at The Grove, Narberth, and Jordan Howorth from Baschurch, who works at Shrewsbury School for Independents by Sodexo and helped the Culinary Team Wales win a gold medal at the Alen Thong Golden Coffee Pot Young Chef Challenge in Sharjah in May.

The finalists will have three hours to cook 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 Apprentice Butcher of the Year final will be contested by Kieran Thomas, who works for Albert Rees Ltd, Carmarthen Market and Ollie Holden-Davies, who works for Neil Powell Butchers, Hay-on-Wye.

Sponsored by the CAW and Cambrian Training Company, the competition allows the butchers 30 minutes to cut a whole Welsh Lamb carcass into primal joints and one hour and 40 minutes to create a visually exciting display of products showcasing their skills and creativity.

Rebekah Wright will also contest the Welsh Vegan Chef of the Year final against Celtic Manor Resort colleague Byron Burns, from Pontypool and former National Chef of Wales winner Ryan Jones, from Maesteg, head chef at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. They will cook a three course menu for six diners in two-and-a-half hours.

The competition, sponsored by Henley Bridge, 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 are Katie Duffy who works at The Halfway, Llanelli who finished third last year, Junior Culinary Team Wales captain Calum Smith who works at Shrewsbury School for Independents at Sodexo and Niruth Wijetunga and Gold Ayinia-Adeyemi, both from Newport, who work at Celtic Manor Resort.

The chefs will have 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 trout and a dessert including one hot and one chocolate element. The competition is sponsored by Cygnet Gin.

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 the awards dinner.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins, OBE, said: “It promises to be a fantastic three days of competitions to showcase the culinary, hospitality and butchery talent, as well as the quality Welsh food and drink products, that we have here in Wales.

“This time next year, we shall be in the final stages of preparing to host the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026 at ICC Wales – the first time this global event will have been held in the UK.

“Hopefully, the WICC will help identify the chefs who will represent Wales in finals at the global event. As the host, Wales has been gifted places in the Global Chef Challenge, Young Chef Challenge, Vegan Chef and Pastry Chef finals.

Sponsors of the WICC are Castell Howell, Cambrian Training Company, Roller Grill UK, MCS Technical Products, Capital Cuisine, Churchill, Cygnet Gin, Henley Bridge, Food and Drink Wales, Kentaur, City & Guilds UK, Essential Cuisine, Ecolab, Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales, Terry’s Patisserie Ltd, Willo Game, Fresh & Tasty Microgreens, Radnor Hills, Robot Coupe and Friedr Dick GmbH & Co.

Pictured: The Welsh International Culinary Championships will showcase culinary, hospitality and butchery talent over three days.

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

9 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

13 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)