Coleg Llandrillo Cooking Champions Scoop 'Best Starter' Award at National Seafood Finals
Catering students Celyn and Bethan have done Coleg Llandrillo proud, securing fourth place overall and winning a prestigious culinary award at the National Seafood Chef of the Year Final.
Following their success at the regional heats in May, Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Professional Cookery students Celyn Edwards and Bethan Edwards, both 19, headed to the Grimsby Institute in North East Lincolnshire on Friday 12th June 2026 to compete against the UK's top culinary talent.
The talented duo, who study at the college’s Rhos-on-Sea site, cooked their hearts out to finish in an impressive overall 4th place and walked away with the award for Best Starter dish.
The National Seafood Competition, now in its 29th year, is a highly regarded platform for trainee chefs to demonstrate their flair, skill, and understanding of sustainable seafood.
During the intense final, Celyn and Bethan had to prepare their three-course menu live under the watchful eyes of the judges, showcasing their innovation and technical ability. In addition to their planned menu, they were put to the ultimate test with a surprise mystery ingredient challenge to produce a dish on the spot, alongside a rigorous assessment of their filleting and knife skills.
Speaking before the finals, Celyn had shared her excitement about refining their dishes based on regional judge feedback:
"Through competing, I have grown in confidence working with fish and improved my skills and creativity."
Bethan added:
"We worked hard to get to this point... It was a great honour to be selected to represent the college in this competition."
The team's success comes after weeks of tireless preparation, research, and practice to perfect their presentation and flavour profiles.
Glen Hughes, Catering Lecturer at Coleg Llandrillo, said:
"Congratulations to our students on the fantastic achievement of reaching the final and performing so brilliantly. We are incredibly proud of the dedication, commitment, and professionalism they have shown throughout the competition. They have given up their own time to practise, refine their skills, and perfect their dishes, and their hard work has truly paid off. Placing fourth in the UK and winning Best Starter is a true reflection of both their talent and determination."
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