Nine chefs from the Celtic Collection have been selected to cook off in the finals of three prestigious competitions at the Welsh International Culinary Championships 2025 in January.
The Celtic Collection contingent represents more than half of the total of 17 finalists drawn from all over Wales to contest the National, Junior and Vegan Chef of Wales 2025 titles at ICC Wales from January 20-22.
The National Chef of Wales final will feature head chef Matthew Owen and junior sous chef Ionut Rosca from Celtic Manor’s Steak on Six restaurant, The Grill sous chef Patrick Millard and commis chef Pratik Bhandarkar, Newbridge on Usk head chef Gareth Jenkins, and Rebekah Wright, senior sous chef at PAD Asian restaurant.
Wright will also double up by competing in the Vegan Chef of Wales competition along with another Celtic Collection colleague, Byron Burns, senior sous chef at Rafters restaurant. Completing the impressive Celtic Collection presence will be The Grill commis chefs Niruth Wijetunga and Gold Ayinia-Adeyemi, who both line up in the Junior Chef of Wales final.
On the daunting prospect of competing in two high-pressured finals in the space of three days, Wright said: “It’s quite a challenge and I hope I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew but my thinking was ‘why not have a go’. I was hoping to get through to one of the finals so to get through in both was a bit of a shock but I’m really excited.
“I got a bronze in last year’s National Chef of Wales final so I’m just hoping I can improve on that and it would be amazing to win Gold in one of the categories. I’m really busy here in PAD through the Christmas period but then in January it will be practice, practice, practice to make sure I’m ready for the competitions.”
In the National Chef of Wales final on Monday, January 20, the competing chefs will be given 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 Celtic Collection contenders will face stiff competition with other finalists including Sam Everton, a catering lecturer at Coleg Ceredigion, Cardigan, who is bidding to become only the second chef to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales competitions in consecutive years, and Jordan Howorth, who works at Shrewsbury School for 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.
In the Vegan Chef of Wales final, Wright and Burns will be challenged to cook a three course menu for six diners in two-and-a-half hours on Wednesday, January 22. On the same day, Wijetunga and Gold Ayinia-Adeyemi will vie for the Junior Chef of Wales title by cooking a three course pescatarian meal for six diners with a plant-based starter suitable for a vegan diet, a main course featuring Chirk Farm Trout and a dessert including one hot and one chocolate element.
Winners of all three competitions, together with the Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year, will be announced at a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony to close the Welsh International Culinary Championships on the evening of January 22.
CAW president Arwyn Watkins, OBE, said: “It is great to see so much culinary talent taking the time out of their busy schedules to enter our National Chef, Junior Chef and Vegan Chef of Wales 2025 competitions. The quality of entries was outstanding and I am looking forward to not only seeing the chefs’ menus being cooked but also tasted. This year, the general public has the opportunity to enjoy the dining experience on a first come, first served basis.”
