Saundersfoot chef Stephanie Belcher is among the talented young chefs representing Wales who began their bid for Culinary World Cup success in Luxembourg with a bronze medal.

The Junior Chef of Wales runner-up and chef de partie at Coast is part of the Junior Culinary Team Wales, comprising young chefs from across the country, who have been competing against 15 other teams from around the world at the high profile culinary event.

The opened their campaign on Sunday with the first element of the competition, the ‘Table of Fire’ which saw them prepare four different kinds of cold and hot finger food, a cold, festive fish or seafood platter, hot main courses and dessert for 12 people.

They completed their competition in the Restaurant of Nations hot kitchen on Tuesday when they prepared and cooked a three-course menu for 70, coming away with a silver medal!

Junior Culinary Team Wales is managed by Michael Kirkham-Evans, a lecturer at the Grŵp Llandrillo Menai campus in Rhos-on-Sea campus and coached by Danny Burke, co-owner of Olive Tree Catering, Runcorn and former Senior Culinary Team Wales captain.

The team was captained by Calum Smith, pastry chef at Shrewsbury School, who is joined by Harry Paynter-Roberts, sous chef at Carden Park Hotel and Spa, near Chester, Sion Hughes, head chef the Spa at Carden Park Hotel, Stephanie Belcher, chef de partie at Coast, Saundersfoot, Harry Osborne, head chef at the Quay Hotel and Spa, Deganwy and Jay Rees, who is studying for a degree at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Both Sion and Harry Osborne are former Junior Chef of Wales winners.

Squad members supporting the team in Luxembourg were Amira Milner from Signatures Restaurant, Conwy, Heather Spencer, commis chef at Links Hotel, Llandudno and Pippa Taylor, who is completing a Culinary Arts Degree at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai campus in Rhos-on-Sea.