YOUNG chef Lucasz Wacirz is hoping more success is on the menu after he cooked his place into the semi-finals of an international culinary competition.

The Llangoed Hall chef will now battle it out for a place in the finals of the S Pellegrino Young Chef Award in a two-day grand finale - which will be televised - in Milan.

Lucasz, 25, is representing the UK and Ireland in the prestigious competition that will take place on June 21.

Calum Milne, managing director of Llangoed Hall, said: "It’s an international achievement and he really is a great chef. He’s actually beaten his own boss to this stage which is great and shows a high standard in our kitchen. It also creates a healthy atmosphere of competition in the kitchen. To say I’m pleased for Lucasz is an understatement I’m chuffed to bits for the guy."

Lucasz is one of 10 chefs from the region of UK and Ireland and there are 300 chefs competing at this stage of the competition.

The dish that Lucasz will be making on the day is called ’Polish links with pigeon in leafs with goose with sabre’.

Lucasz said: "I like all of my dishes to tell a story with the ingredients and the presentation."

He wanted to represent Poland, his home country, as well as the UK and Ireland where he now lives and works.

Lucasz said: "It is important for me that I don’t change any of the ingredients in my dish because they come from all of the different regions of Poland. I am representing all of Poland and the wonderful products that are produced there."

This will not be the first time that Lucasz has competed at this level as he made it to this stage of the competition last year and came third in the semi-final. He said that last years competition was good for him in terms of networking and making contacts with other chefs.

Lucasz has been working as a chef for about 10 years and has been working at Llangoed Hall for four months along with his fiance who works in front of house service.

He said: "We were sought out by a head hunter and bought over here from Poland to work in the hotel industry."

His chosen dish will be marked on ingredients, skills, genius, message and taste.

The two-day grand finale will be judged by chefs including David Higgs, Carlo Cracco, Gaggan Anand and Mauro Colagreco.