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A young baker from Caerphilly has made it to the finals of a national competition to find the UK’s top young pastry chef.

Jack Morris, 18, is one of only two Welsh finalists in this year’s Chef’s Forum Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition.

The Coleg y Cymoedd pupil will compete with seven other talented chefs at the grand final, which is being held in West London College on May 10.

The finalists will have to impress a panel of 11 judges, including the likes of Cherish Finden and Benoit Blin from Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals.

During the final, Jack and the other contestants will be tasked with designing and creating a plated dessert which will be assessed by the judges.

Jack, a level three patisserie learner at the Nantgarw campus, will be hoping to emulate fellow-Coleg y Cymoedd pupil Josie Wheeler, who won last year’s competition.

He will be joined in this year’s final by another Coleg y Cymoedd pupil, Mali Leese, who attends the Aberdare campus.

The competition, now in its third year, is open to students and apprentices studying hospitality or catering courses, and was designed in response to a national shortage of young pastry chefs.

The winner will take home a range of industry-related prizes, including a £300 Wedgwood voucher.

Jack goes into the competition having won gold at last year’s Skills Wales Patisserie and Confectionary contest.

He said: “I have always loved baking. Having grown up learning how to bake with my nan, I am really enjoying my patisserie course as it’s something I am passionate about.

“Winning a gold award last year at the Skills Wales competition was a real highlight and I feel it was good practice for me ahead of the student pastry chef awards.

“It has helped set me up and put me in a more confident position for them and I hope I can continue that success.”

Coleg y Cymoedd hospitality and catering lecturer, Benajmin Barrett, said: “The fact that Jack and Mali have been recognised as being among the top eight young pastry chefs in the UK just goes to show the level of talent these two have.

“They have both put in a lot of work and are so deserving of this achievement.”