A YOUNG foodie has gone head to head in front of four million people in a bid to win the top job as a sausage designer.

Calum Smith, from Northallerton, bagged a new job at Heck Food in Bedale after appearing on Channel 4’s The Job Interview.

He entered fierce battle with the UK’s top food scientists as Heck Food – Yorkshire’s fastest growing company – put candidates through their paces.

Co-founders Andrew and Debbie Keeble were on the hunt for a new product developer in the sausage world, and said the job is about “creativity and science, all wrapped up into a delicious package of food”.

The budding connoisseur went to school in Bedale and was manager at Pizza Express when he applied.

He said: “I saw the job advertised and realised I had to go for it. I have always loved food, my grandparents and parents owned bakeries and I’ve been cooking since I was a little boy. I have always loved experimenting with different flavours. The job at Heck was my dream.”

Mrs Keeble admits on screen that he was the “wild card” but made the shortlist because he hand delivered his CV to their family home.

Mr Smith has been working at Heck’s for six months and has developed and launched a new range of skinless sausages called Naked.