As Auckland Castle launches a series of pop-up restaurants, Shannon Peters talks to the venue's young head chef Luke Orwin

Luke Orwin, 22, from North Shields, is the head chef at Auckland Castle. As a youngster Luke used to love baking at home – "nothing too elaborate" - and watching TV cookery programmes. He used to hold dinner parties at home so he could practise recipes from his collection of cookery books. Luke decided early on that he wanted to be a chef and left school at 15 to train at TyneMet College in North Tyneside. He' s been at Auckland Casle for a year now. "I’ve worked at some of the North-East’s top restaurants but was attracted to the castle because it’s a new, exciting challenge. It’s always great being in at the start of something."

How do you come up with new dishes?

It’s a mixture of my own curiosity, inspiration from ingredients and suppliers, ideas from reading recipe books and good meals out that I’ve had.

How important to you is using local produce?

Extremely. The quality and choice is so much better. Supporting small producers with the same values makes it so much easier to create a great end product. Local produce is also fresher and keeps money in the local economy. I believe people want to see local produce on the menu when they’re eating out as it helps connect them with the area. It also gives me the chance to work with the seasons and ensure the Library Tea Room menu is kept interesting, which is especially important for repeat visitors.

Do you grow any of your own ingredients?

Yes, I’ve got my own allotment at home and we’ve also got a kitchen garden here at Auckland Castle. The garden is only just getting going again after the winter, but last year we had a variety of fruit and vegetables, all of which we used on the Library Tea Room menu.

As the year moves on, the menu will again be tailored to reflect what’s coming through from the kitchen garden. It’s fabulous knowing I can just walk out the back door and have my pick of the freshest ingredients.

Name three unusual ingredients you wouldn’t be without?

Truffle oil... because it’s great on so many things. It takes certain foods, like scrambled eggs, wild mushrooms and chicken pies, to the next culinary level.

Spelt flour from Gilchesters Organics in Northumberland... another must-have ingredient for me. They grow and mill their own heritage grains. The spelt is silky smooth and makes fantastic breads and cakes.

Jerusalem artichoke... I will be serving this at our pop-up events. They’re one of those vegetables that people have heard of, but rarely eat. I like them because of their distinct nutty flavour and versatility. You can use them in soups, chip them, roast them or mash them and they make awesome crisps. In fact, you can do everything with a Jerusalem artichoke that you can with potatoes.

Your desert island dinner?

My perfect meal would be a starter of Jerusalem artichoke soup, followed by battered haddock and chips out of newspaper with plenty of vinegar and mushy peas, finishing with my favourite childhood pudding of jam roly poly with loads of homemade custard.

• Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7NR, is open every day except Tuesday between February 14 and December 20, as well as Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, 10am-4pm. Admission £6; concessions, £5; under-16s free.

aucklandcastle.org