Ian Bennett – Wales

Ian Bennett of The Welcome to Town Restaurant on the rugged and beautiful Gower Peninsula is this year’s Celtic cook from Wales.

Ian’s culinary career began in Wales, and this is where he currently resides and works, but his culinary path has seen him work in various famous kitchens and reap various awards at various restaurants throughout the UK and Ireland, including the Walnut Tree in Gwent, Kirroughtree House in Scotland, completing an apprenticeship for the Roux Brothers, Michel and Albert Roux at the Waterside Inn in Bray, and spending two years working for Cafe Rouge in London.

With this background, Ian knows how to impress and how to use local produce to create a balanced dish, he even gathers at The Welcome to Town a cornucopia of local produce including seafood, salt marsh lamb, pork and beef to ensure he can execute his dishes simply with a contemporary touch.

Having accepted an affiliation into the Master Chef of Great Britain Society in November 1999, Ian is a Fellow Member of Epicurean World Master Chefs Society.

Ian will be representing Wales in the Celtic Cook Off and competing against Jack Stein from Cornwall, Tony Singh from Scotland, Stephane Delourme from Brittany, Butch Buttery from The Isle of Man and Gary O'Hanlon from Ireland.