A CULINARY wizard from Pembrokeshire has claimed the title of the new National Chef of Wales.

Simon Crockford, whose family home is in Tenby, cooked his way to the coveted title yesterday (Thursday) in a closely-contested final on the last day of the Welsh International Culinary Championships in North Wales.

Simon, who works at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport and is a member of the Culinary Team Wales, now goes on to represent Wales in the UK National Chef of the Year contest and the World Chefs' Global Chef European semi-final in October.

His winning menu opened with scorched mackerel and cured Swansea Bay sauce, rice, pickled beetroot, apple, salted cucumber, horseradish salad cream and sea herbs.

The main course was Pembrokeshire free-range chicken, sage, onion spelt, red cabbage puree, mushrooms, Halen Mon salted herb faggot, charred sweetcorn and chicken jus.

Dessert was Carmarthenshire Nomnom chocolate mousse, peanut butter, shortbread caramel ganache, banana parfait and chocolate soil.

"The final was a lot tougher than what I thought it would be," Simon admitted. "I work in probably the biggest resort in Europe, but that was the hardest three hours I have ever done, and I honestly didn't think I would be holding the trophy.

"I have been competing with the Culinary Team Wales for four years, have won the Battle of the Dragon and been to two Culinary Olympics, but I still have a hunger to win, and this award is unbelievable. It's a reward for a lot of hard work."