Talented Welsh apprentice butchers are set to compete in the country's top competition.

The Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year final will take place at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), Newport, from January 20 to 22.

Attendance at the WICC is free of charge to the public and hospitality trade.

The competition is sponsored by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) and Cambrian Training Company.

It is open to all Welsh butchery apprentices who are employed or studying for a qualification in Wales.

Online submissions must be completed by December 20 and accompanied by a £30 fee.

Finalists will have 30 minutes to butcher a whole Welsh lamb carcass into primal cuts, followed by 1 hour and 40 minutes to craft a visually appealing display of products that highlight their skills and creativity.

Each product must be clearly labelled and include cooking instructions.

Butchers are required to produce at least two lamb products that are identical in appearance, size, and weight.

Judging criteria will include presentation, display quality, creativity, technical skills, minimisation of waste, food safety, and adherence to health and safety standards.

The winner will be revealed during the WICC Awards Dinner on the evening of Wednesday, January 22, at The ICC Wales.

The competition could serve as a pathway to joining Craft Butchery Team Wales, which features five past winners of the Welsh Butcher of the Year or Welsh Young Butcher of the Year titles: team captain Peter Rushforth, Matthew Edwards, Tomi Jones, Dan Allen-Raftery, and Craig Holly.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, CAW president and Cambrian Training Company’s executive chairman, said: "Winning the Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year competition is a massive achievement.

"This competition is a great opportunity for apprentice butchers to put their skills to the test in front of an audience.

"It’s a huge honour to be named the best in Wales at your chosen vocation and people attending the WICC will have a chance to watch highly skilled apprentice butchers demonstrating their talent and meat display techniques."

Organised by the CAW, the 2025 WICC will feature a variety of competitions over three days, including the finals for Welsh National Chef of the Year, Junior Chef of the Year, and Vegan Chef of the Year, as well as the Skills Competition Wales hospitality finals.

Full details can be found at culinaryassociation.wales/welsh-butcher-of-the-year-2025/