A South Wales college has been crowned ‘Best College’ for the second year in a row at a national culinary competition after impressing judges with the quality and skills of its learners.
Alongside this impressive title, Coleg y Cymoedd also won an additional 31 awards at this year’s Welsh International Culinary Championships – one of the most prestigious hospitality skills events in Wales – setting the highest record yet for the college.
Organised by the Culinary Association Wales, a partnership of professional chefs and caterers, the Welsh International Culinary Championships aims to raise the culinary profile of Wales, providing aspiring chefs and hospitality professionals from across the country with the opportunity to showcase their skills to a board of industry experts. 13 Coleg y Cymoedd learners took home awards after the intense competition, which took place over three days at the ICC in Newport.
Learners competed in a variety of individual classes such as butchery, mixology and knife skills, as well as cooking challenges including categories for creating dishes with Welsh produce like beef and lamb. Competitors were awarded gold, silver or bronze accolades after being assessed on areas including hygiene, taste, flavour, and technical skill shown.
Sophie Wilson, a Level 1 Introduction to Professional Cookery learner at Coleg y Cymoedd, won a number of medals alongside Gold and ‘Best in Class’ at the Welsh Heat of the Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef Challenge, a separate competition that took place at the Welsh International Culinary Championships, and has been invited to represent Wales at the national risotto competition’s UK Final in 2026.
She said: “It’s such an honour to represent Coleg y Cymoedd, my peers, and my country on a national stage for the Riso Gallo National Finals. I’m also so proud to have earned Silver medals for Fruit Cuts and Cocktail Mixology, along with Best in Class for Fruit Cuts, at the Welsh International Culinary Championships. These results mean the world to me and I’m so happy to have made my family and lecturers proud.”
Corey Evans, a Level 3 Patisserie and Confectionary learner, won Gold and Best in Class for his beef dish at the three day long Culinary Awards. He said:
“I was so nervous before the competition, so I’m absolutely thrilled to have won Gold and Best in Class for my beef dish on Wednesday. It’s such an intense competition so I’m so proud of my achievements and can’t thank the college and my lecturers enough for their support along the way.”
Kevin Hall, competition lead at Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “I am incredibly proud of all the learners who bravely stepped forward to join the Coleg y Cymoedd competition team. Their dedication and commitment, practicing in their own time and stepping out of their comfort zones, has been truly remarkable.
“This year, we achieved a record number of entries across our three campuses, and our learners have won an astounding 26 medals and 5 awards, setting a new record for us. This success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our dedicated lecturers, kitchen technicians, support staff, and sponsors. The future looks exceptionally bright for our department and learners.”
