A CHEF apprentice has won been named North West champion.

Blackburn College and Northcote apprentice Josh Root, 17, has won the North West of England Final of the Springboard Future Chef Competition.

The Springboard Future Chef Competition is a national, industry supported initiative that aims to inspire young chefs to consider a career within professional cookery, whilst encouraging the inclusion of cookery within school curriculums.

Mentored by professional chef Paul Maguire, Josh has successfully championed three previous heats to qualify as North West champion and will now proceed to the national final, held at Westminster Kingsway College in London on the 12th March 2018.

“I am really excited to be travelling down to London as North West champion.” Josh said.

“The whole competition has been a fantastic way of using what I have learnt as an Apprentice to practice and hone my cookery skills.

“For the national final, I will be provided with a list of ingredients and will need to choose and develop a menu around my preferred main ingredient.

“It is such an honour to be working alongside such amazing chefs at Northcote and I am so grateful to the support I have received from Blackburn College, Springboard and my mentor Paul Maguire.”

Paul Sharples, Industry Links Manager at Blackburn College said: “We are incredibly proud of Josh and how well he has done throughout the competition."