Two talented East Lancashire chefs are one step closer to claiming a career-defining culinary title.
Liam Anderson, from Burnley, and William Hampson, who lives near Langho, have reached the semi-finals of the Roux Scholarship, a competition for chefs aged 22 to 30 which aims to find the UK's best young chef.
Liam said: "Some days are obviously more challenging than others, but I love cooking. I love being here. I love pushing myself to be the best I can be.
"To win the scholarship would be massive testament to the hard work I've put in over my career and to be on a pedestal with the past winners and that would be amazing."
Now head chef at the two-Michelin-starred Midsummer House in Cambridge, Liam trained at Accrington and Rossendale College.
He reached the national finals of last year’s competition and is making a fresh bid for the title.
Daniel Clifford, chef and owner of Midsummer House, said: "For Liam to enter the scholarship, it was a big thing. He's got that mentality to push himself to be strong and to be consistent on what he does. He's an amazing all-rounder. I'd be extremely proud if Liam does very well."
William is senior sous chef at Northcote in Langho.
According to the Roux Scholarship website, "he enjoys the pace of a prestigious restaurant kitchen, as well as working with top quality local produce.
"His inspiration for pursuing a career in cooking comes from his mother and grandmothers who introduced him to cooking at a young age and, he says, he has never looked back."
Both chefs will compete in the semi-finals in Birmingham on Thursday, March 5.
The Roux Scholarship, now in its 42nd year, is judged by some of the biggest names in British cuisine, including Michel Roux Jnr, Angela Hartnett OBE, Brian Turner CBE, and James Martin.
The Roux Scholarship is widely regarded as the "holy grail" of cookery competitions, with many past winners going on to run their own restaurants and earn Michelin stars.
The 18 chefs, and two reserves, were selected from their written recipes that had to use a Devon White chicken, its livers and two accompaniments, one of which had to include leeks. The recipes were submitted anonymously to the judges, who took part in the recipe judging day earlier this month.
The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday, March 5.
Northcote chef, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, said: “It was my first time judging the recipes and I thought some of them were really interesting, with some great detail.
"Some were more focused on using the leek in different ways, and others used as much of the chicken as possible, and so there was less wastage. And it was all about showing their creativity and what can be done in the 2.5 hours.”
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