A chef at a Narberth venue has been selected as a finalist for The National Chef of Wales.

Sam Rust, who works at The Grove, Narberth, is one of 10 chefs who will battle it out in the final of the competition at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) 2025 in January.

The competition is organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) and is part of a three-day showcase of Welsh talent and food and drink at ICC Wales, Newport, from January 20 to 22.

The 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 tuile.

The other finalists include Sam Everton from Llangeler, Llandysul, who is a catering lecturer at Coleg Ceredigion, Cardigan, and is hoping to win the Junior and National Chef of Wales competitions in consecutive years.

Wayne Barnard from Caerphilly, who works at Llechwen Hall Hotel near Pontypridd, will be hoping to improve on his third place last year.

Matthew Owen from Cardiff and Rebekah Wright from Ebbw Vale, who both work at the Celtic Manor Resort, also return for another shot at the final.

They will line up in the final 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 final competitor is Jordan Howorth from Baschurch, 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.

The winners of all three competitions (along with Junior Chef of Wales and Welsh Vegan Chef of the Year), together with the Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year, will be announced at a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony to close the WICC 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 serve basis."

Diners can reserve tickets to experience the dishes cooked by the finalists in the three finals at: office@culinaryassociation.wales.

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 and Friedr Dick GmbH & Co.