Cardiff-born chef, Larkin Cen, will appear in the 19th series of the BBC’s Great British Menu.

Next week’s regional heats see four of the finest chefs in Wales compete to cook at the final banquet.

Larkin Cen is no stranger to the competition, having represented Wales in series 17 of the acclaimed cookery show in 2022.

 

The former MasterChef finalist opened his first restaurant at the iconic Celtic Manor Resort in Newport in 2016 before going on to open the Woky Ko and Daily Noodles restaurants in Bristol. He is currently back at Celtic Manor for a two-month residency, Monkey King at the resort’s PAD Asian restaurant.

The award-winning chef’s interest in food began as a child, watching his parents cook in their Chinese takeaway in Cardiff. Larkin hopes his menu, based on traditional Chinese flavours and authentic Asian techniques, combined with his competitive nature will take him all the way to the banquet.

Larkin Cen said:

“It’s an absolute honour to represent Wales for the Great British Menu. We are lucky to have some incredible chefs in this part of the world, not to mention world-class produce.

“The theme of this year’s competition is an exciting one; it’s about celebrating athletes, past and present, ahead of the Paralympics and Olympics taking place in Paris.

“I hope my menu brings the brief to life, whilst showcasing the fun, flavour and creativity to be discovered in Asian cuisine.”

Catch Larkin in action at 8pm on Tuesday 20 February on BBC Two and iPlayer.