The executive chef at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff says he cannot wait to represent Wales in the Global Vegan Chefs Challenge in his home country later this month.
Ryan Jones, 42, from Maesteg, who works for Aramark, will be competing against seven rival chefs from across the world in the final at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026 which is being held at ICC Wales, Newport from May 16–19.
He will be supported by commis chef, Carys Williams, who works for Home by James Sommerin in Penarth and is a student at Gower College Swansea, in the final on Monday, May 18. Carys was named Springboard Chef of the Year last year.
“I have spent every single moment of my spare time thinking about, developing and practicing my dishes against a very challenging brief from Worldchefs,” said Ryan. “This is the most prepared I have ever been for a competition.
“As a proud Welshman from the Valleys, it’s a massive honour to represent Wales. My first chance was as a commis chef with the Welsh team in the Culinary Olympics in 2014.
“For the three hours you are competing for Wales, you are the best at what you do and on top of your game. If I win a medal, I promise people will know about it for a long time.
“I am very excited and over the moon to have a second chance to compete in a Global Chefs Challenge competition – I was unable to compete the first time in 2014 because it clashed with expected birth date of my son. We won’t mention the fact that he was 10 days late arriving.”
The Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 is being hosted by the CAW. It’s the first time in its 98-year history that the event, which is expected to attract around 800 chefs from around the world, has been held in the UK.
The CAW is a member of the Home Nations alongside the Panel of Chefs Ireland, Federation of Chefs Scotland and The British Culinary Federation. Therefore, Ryan and Carys are not only representing Wales but also flying the flag for the Home Nations.
