Cardiff chef through to national finals

Fresh Restaurant sous chef Ryan Jones, based at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, has won the South Wales regional final of the National Chef of Wales competition.

Ryan, 28, beat three other chefs to claim the regional honour and will now be competing in the St Valentine’s Day cook-off at the Welsh International Culinary Championships. “I was confident that what I had cooked was good but I was still surprised to win,” he said.

His winning menu opened with pan fried brill with oxtail cheroles and white truffle followed by a main course of breast of Madgett’s Farm duck with fondant potato, salsify, butternut squash and duck leg and liver faggot. Dessert was bitter chocolate mousse and passion fruit. The competition is organised by the Welsh Culinary Association and sponsored jointly by the Welsh Government, Unilever Food Solutions and Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales.