National Chef of Wales 2016 | Ben Taylor

Ben Taylor, Head chef at the Michelin-starred Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa near Bath has won National Chef of Wales 2016.

The 34 year old from Newcastle Emlyn will automatically go through to the UK semi-finals of the National Chef of the Year contest. Ben said: “I’m absolutely blown away. For my first competition I wasn’t expecting to do as well as I have done. I thought getting through to the final was a good achievement. “It’s a hell of an honour and I will be very proud to represent Wales in the UK National Chef of the Year contest. It will be nice to promote Welsh cooking on a bigger scale." Ben beat off stiff competition from colleague Thomas Westerland, 24, chef de partie at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, Jack Davison, 23, sous chef from Deganwy Quay Hotel and Spa and Nathan Davies, 25, from Belle Vue Royal Hotel in Aberystwyth. The chefs were given three hours to cook a three course meal for four using shellfish in their starter, Welsh venison in the main course and rhubarb in the dessert.

Ben's winning menu opened with poached tail of Welsh lobster, claw tortellini, soy and ginger broth, darkon radish and salty fingers followed by hickory

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smoked loin of Bwlch venison, it’s own faggot, mushroom puree, glazed onions and savoy cabbage. Dessert was caramelised banana soufflé, banana yoghurt ice cream, salted toffee popcorn and butter chocolate sauce. Ben also wins an all expenses paid one week culinary trip to the Netherlands, a set of Dick Knives, £250 worth of products from Churchill China and Gourmet Classic shopping vouchers. For the first time this year, the contest was open to Wales born chefs now working outside the country, a move which made it possible for Ben and Thomas to enter. Ben said: “I think it is a great idea to open the competition to Welsh chefs working outside Wales. It comes down to the question of whether you want to find the best chef within Wales or the best Welsh chef. There are some really good chefs working outside of Wales and I think the decision extends the scope of the competition.” Only ten chefs will go through to the National Chef of the Year final, which takes place at the Restaurant Show on Tuesday, 4 October.