A YOUNG aspiring chef from Swansea is celebrating after being crowned the winner of a competition to find the region’s most talented young chefs.
Carys Williams, 16, from Pontarddulais School beat tough competition from local students who registered to take part and will now head to London this March to represent Wales in the UK-wide Springboard FutureChef 2025 final.
Carys won a spot in the final after impressing the judges during the regional competition hosted at Bridgend College. She said: “I’m so grateful to be part of the FutureChef competition again this year and representing Wales again! I can’t wait to make new friends and see what everyone is cooking!”
Carys and 11 other competitors went head-to-head in the regional final, which saw them receive 90 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert. The dishes were judged by a panel of industry professionals, including Ryan Jones (Principality Stadium – Compass), Tom Bowsher (Bear Hotel Cowbridge) , Nick Power (Head Chef at The Ivy Collection, Cardiff) and Douglas Balish (Grove of Narberth).
Aiming to find the UK’s best young chefs and up-and-coming industry stars, Springboard FutureChef is an initiative from Springboard – a charity that is committed to nurturing young talent and promoting hospitality as a great place to build a career.
Since the annual Springboard FutureChef competition began in 1999, over 200,000 young people aged 12-16 have taken part, with many going on to establish themselves within the industry. It is the UK’s largest school culinary competition, with a long list of successful alumni, including April Partridge, who went on to complete an apprenticeship with The IVY in London, and Katie Cooper who went on to do an apprenticeship at UCB with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and is now a Home Economist for the BBC’s The Great British Menu.
Throughout the competition, participants are mentored and judged by all-star FutureChef Champions and supporters, including Michelin Star chef Shaun Rankin. With over 35 years in the sector, Shaun’s wealth of expertise places him in the perfect position to guide the upcoming generation of hospitality starts into a career of success.
Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “The hospitality industry continues to face numerous challenges, including recruitment and false stereotypes that circulate the industry. It is more important than ever to keep the prospect of a career in hospitality at the forefront of the minds of students, teachers, and parents, and the Springboard FutureChef competition has proven very successful in doing this.
“By introducing young talent to the world of hospitality and allowing them to experience the level of creativity that comes with it, the competition has enabled many talented young individuals to enter the industry and discover their passions for what the sector offers.
“Competitions like these are critical because they bring in talented and motivated workers while promoting the industry. It is also great to see competitors having fun and doing what they love!”
For more information, visit the Springboard FutureChef website.
Springboard FutureChef is generously sponsored by a host of leading industry organisations, employers and college partners. They support FutureChef because they recognise the importance of learning to cook and encouraging talented young people to realise their potential through a career as a chef and in Hospitality.
Sponsors include Savoy Educational Trust, BaxterStorey, Sodexo, Hilton, Nestlé Professional, Compass, Swansea Marriott and The Worshipful Company of Cooks London.
To see the full list of sponsors, click here.
