A 17-year-old chef from Three Cocks has earned an impressive second place at the Welsh International Culinary Championships.

Falon Bailie, apprentice chef de partie at Foyles of Glasbury, took home the silver medal in a bid to become the Junior Chef of Wales.

In a final cook-off, Falon was just pipped to the post by Dalton Weir, 22, from Llandudno, in a thrilling finale last Thursday.

Stephanie Belcher, 21, from Abergavenny, sous chef at Peterstone Court Hotel in Brecon, came in joint third place.

Organised by the CAW, the WICC were hosted by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea from February 22-24 and main sponsor was Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Government’s department representing the food and drink industry.

The five chefs had three hours to prepare and cook a three course meal for four people, including mostly Welsh ingredients, a seafood starter or fish appetiser will be followed by a main course featuring one prime cut and one secondary cut of Welsh Beef and a seasonal dessert including chocolate and one hot element.

Falon served up a starter of Welsh hand dived scallop, cauliflower, pea, black pudding, pancetta, hazelnuts and apple. Main course was Welsh Black aged fillet of beef, hanger steam pithivier, squash puree, celeriac fondant, tender stem broccoli, wild rice, lovage emulsion, pickled carrot and beef reduction.

Dessert was dark chocolate, miso, pistachio, strawberry, sheep’s yoghurt and sorrel.

Falon said: “I didn’t have time to practice the dishes enough but everything was going well until I took the chocolate mousse out of the freezer and it wasn’t set. I enjoyed the experience and will be back but with more experience.”

Stephanie’s menu opened with crab tortellini with ginger and chilli bisque and foraged coastline plants. Main course was Welsh Black beef chuck and ale pie, Welsh Black fillet atop horseradish mash, turned Suffolk turnips, baby heritage carrots, English miniature honey roast parsnips with rich beef jus and nasturtiums.

Dessert was range pastry tart filled with chocolate and chestnut mousse, meringue, dehydrated chestnut paper, tempered dark chocolate shard and hot geranium syrup.

Stephanie said: “It was a good first experience. Considering I had never done anything like this before, I was reasonably happy with the dishes but they were not perfect and I’m a perfectionist. I will definitely be coming back.”

The judges were Colin Gray, managing director of Capital Cuisine, Caerphilly, Graham Tinsley, executive chef Carden Park, near Chester and Lee Corke, catering manager, Clare College, Cambridge.

Mr Gray, CAW vice president, said of the competitors: “It was a keenly contested final but Dalton’s previous competition experience just gave him the edge.

“For many of the finalists, it was their first competition and their dishes were of a good standard. It’s pleasing to see that Wales is producing so many bright, young chefs who want to compete, especially as we are always scouting for members of Junior Culinary Team Wales.”

The five chefs had three hours to prepare and cook a three course meal for four people, including mostly Welsh ingredients, a seafood starter or fish appetiser will be followed by a main course featuring one prime cut and one secondary cut of Welsh Beef and a seasonal dessert including chocolate and one hot element.