A TV cooking competition set to include an East Lancashire chef will start on Monday.

Tom Parker, 27, from the White Swan at Fence, is set to appear on BBC Two’s Great British Menu competition alongside 23 professional chefs from around the country.

Mr Parker, who spent seven years working at Northcote after writing to boss Nigel Haworth aged 16 before moving to Fence in 2013, said he was both nervous and excited about pitting his culinary skills against the best in Britain.

The show this year will celebrate 140 years of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. The chefs’ creations must fit the theme of ‘a Taste of Summer’ which encourages them to reflect the taste, smells and colours of the season.

This year, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort will be joined in the judging chamber by Andi Oliver, following Prue Leith’s departure from the show.

The series starts at 7pm.