Carmarthenshire’s Kieran Thomas is a Welsh apprentice butcher looking to prove he is a cut above the rest in the final of the country’s top competition.

The Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year final takes places on the first day of the three-day Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), Newport on Monday.

Kieran Thomas, who works for Albert Rees Ltd, Carmarthen Market, is also a familiar face in the Friday Market at Pembroke Dock.

The finalists will have 30 minutes to cut a whole Welsh Lamb carcass into primal joints and then one hour and 40 minutes to create a visually exciting display of products showcasing their skills and creativity. All products must be clearly labelled and accompanied by cooking instructions.

Kieran, a young apprentice butcher from Llanddarog, is both nervous and excited at the prospect of the forthcoming competition. Having started butchery just over a year ago, in December 2023, he will be putting newly acquired skills to work. He has been kept busy planning for the creative challenge.

The competing butchers must create a minimum of two lamb products identical in appearance, size and weight. They will be judged on their appearance, the meat display, creativity, skills, wastage, food safety and health and safety.

Also competing for the coveted title will be Ollie Holden-Davies, who works for Neil Powell Butchers, Hay-on-Wye.

Sponsored by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) and Cambrian Training Company, the competition is open to Welsh butchery apprentices employed or studying for a qualification in Wales.

The winner will be announced at the WICC awards dinner on the evening of Wednesday, January 22 at ICC Wales.

The final and all three days of the WICC, which runs from January 20-22, are open free of charge to the public and hospitality trade.

The competition could be a stepping stone to the Craft Butchery Team Wales, which has included five former Welsh Butcher of the Year or Welsh Young Butcher of the Year winners – captain Peter Rushforth, Matthew Edwards, Tomi Jones, Dan Allen-Raftery and Craig Holly.

“The Welsh Apprentice Butcher of the Year competition is a great opportunity for apprentice butchers to put their skills to the test in front of an audience,” said Arwyn Watkins OBE, CAW president and Cambrian Training Company’s executive chairman.

“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 also hosts a wide range of competitions over three days, including the Welsh Chef of the Year competition where Wayne Harvard will be using Albert Rees Ltd’s signature product, Carmarthen Ham, in his dishes.