Judges run the rule over hospitality industry talent at Skills Competition Wales
Hospitality industry professionals from across Wales joined the judging panel to cast their eyes over the next generation of culinary talent at Skills Competition Wales competitions.
Cambrian Training Company, the leading independent provider of apprenticeships to the hospitality industry in Wales, called on the judges for hospitality competitions held at NPTC Group of Colleges’ Newtown and Neath campuses and Coleg Cambria’s Yale campus.
A celebration event will be held on the evening of Wednesday, March 18 at the Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl where medallists will be announced.
Winners of the culinary arts and restaurant services competitions will be invited to represent Wales at the WorldSkills UK finals and, possibly, the WorldSkills finals.
The Culinary Association of Wales provided president Arwyn Watkins, OBE and Nick Davies, Powys County Council’s principal catering manager, to judge the culinary arts competitions and vice president Colin Gray, of Capital Cuisine, Caerphilly and Karl Jones-Hughes, of Stopio, Narberth, to judge the patisserie and confectionary competitions.
Rob Hookham, head of service excellence at The Celtic Collection, Newport, Linda Thomas former Inspiring Skills Champion for health & hospitality sector, Marnie Gaskell, from Pontio Lounge, Chepstow and Yuliia Batrak from the George Hotel, Llandudno judged the restaurant services.
Cambrian Training Company officers Melanie Canning, Nora Jones, Joanna Davies and Gemma Wilkins judged the inclusive food preparation and inclusive restaurant services competitions.
“Cambrian Training is proud to run the Skills Competition Wales Hospitality competitions,” said Faith O’Brien, managing director. “These competitions give apprentices the chance to showcase their talent, build confidence and test their skills against industry benchmarks and play an important role in raising standards and inspiring excellence across the sector.
“We would like to extend our thanks to our team of experienced professional judges that work closely with Cambrian Training. They all are experts in the sectors they were assessing, ensuring high standards and providing valuable, real-world feedback to support apprentices’ development.”
It’s a big year for the hospitality and food industries in Wales which is hosting the Worldchefs Congress & Expo at ICC Wales, Newport from May 16-19. Around 800 chefs from around the globe will be attending the event, which is themed ‘Pasture, Passion, Plate’ and is hosted by the Culinary Association of Wales.
It’s the first time in 98 years that Worldchefs Congress & Expo to be held in the UK.
Matthew Watts, skills champion for Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales, organisers of Skills Competition Wales, said:
“Once again, the standard on display at Skills Competition Wales has been excellent.
“Each year we are impressed by the level of professionalism, creativity and technical ability shown by competitors, and 2026 is no exception.
“The hospitality sector in Wales has a very bright future and competitions like these play a vital role in challenging learners, raising standards and giving them the confidence to progress to national and international stages. It’s inspiring to see so much talent coming through.”
Ready to test your skills and compete among the best in Wales? Find out more about Skills Competition Wales and how to sign up for next year’s competition by visiting: inspiringskills.gov.wales/skills-competition-wales
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