Welcome to the Competitions’ hub of the Culinary Association of Wales, where creativity, passion, and friendly rivalry come together to celebrate the very best of Welsh Food and Drink. Whether you’re a seasoned chef, an aspiring talent, or simply love the buzz of competition, this is where you’ll find opportunities to showcase your skills, connect with fellow professionals, and be inspired by incredible culinary talent from across Wales and beyond.
Discover how you can get involved and learn about our proud history of competing on some of the world’s biggest culinary stages, where Team Wales has consistently showcased the skill, flair, and flavour that define Welsh cuisine.
NOW OPEN!
National Chef of Wales 2027
Open for entries! The search is on for Wales’ next National Chef of Wales. This prestigious competition is open to professional chefs looking to showcase their culinary skills, creativity and passion for Welsh food. Could you be the chef to take the title in 2027?
Find out more & apply:
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Junior Chef of Wales 2027
Open for entries! Are you Wales’ next rising culinary star? The Junior Chef of Wales competition is open to chefs aged 17–23 on 19 January 2027, giving young chefs the opportunity to showcase their skills, creativity and passion for Welsh cuisine.
Find out more & apply:
Both competitions are part of the Culinary Association of Wales’ commitment to celebrating and developing culinary talent across Wales.
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Welsh International Culinary Championships 2026 Results
National Chef of Wales – Winner 2026
- Dion Wyn Jones, Executive Chef, Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa, Natwich.
Junior Chef of Wales – Winner 2026
- Caitlin Meredith, Coleg Ceredigion catering student from Ceredigion.
Our Competition History
The Senior and Junior Welsh National Culinary Teams carry the Welsh flag with great pride in the two major international competitions, the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg and the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany. Both competitions are held every four years to coincide with the football World Cup finals and the Olympic Games.
In addition, the senior team has brought back gold, silver and bronze medals from the American Culinary Classic in Chicago, the World Culinary Championships in Basle, the European Cup of Regional Flavours in France and was due to compete in the FHA Culinary Challenge in Singapore in 2010 until the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland grounded their flight.
Closer to home, Welsh teams have competed at the World Culinary Grand Prix in Scotland, Hospitality in Birmingham and Chef Ireland, whilst on home soil the senior team competes annually in the Battle for the Dragon contest against two invited national teams at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (W.I.C.C.) at Coleg Llandrillo.
At an individual level, Welsh chefs have competed with distinction in the Global Chefs Challenge and Hans Bueschkens Young Chefs Challenge and the UK Escoffier Challenge.
Other competitions targeted by Welsh chefs include BBC Two’s Masterchef, ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish, British Chef of the Year, National Chef of Wales, Junior Chef of Wales, Cake Cymru and the Celtic Challenge.
The Association is committed to supporting chefs & butchers from Wales to showcase their talent at a regional, national and international level.