A PROMISING young chef is hoping to add to his collection of awards at a national competition.

Jonathan Ferguson, 25, works at Darlington's Michelin two-star The Raby Hunt and will later this week compete in the final round of The Roux Scholarship, in front of a panel of judges and some of the biggest names in the industry.

He is one of only 19 chefs to have made through to the semi finals.

Ferguson has had to wait a year and a half to show off his expertise after the coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings.

But that hasn't affected his creativity, and he hopes his recipe using hake, clams and leeks will impress the judges.

The Chef De Partie has previously worked at Gleneagles, Scotland, and first entered the kitchen at The Raby Hunt last February.

His role at the Darlington restaurant stemmed from a visit to the restaurant where Ferguson said he "loved the food" and the restaurant's unique style.

The Northern Echo:

"I wanted to work somewhere that was a bit different and used lots of different ingredients from different corners of the world," he said.

Ferguson's love of cooking started at just eight years old watching cooking shows on television before receiving his first pair of chef whites and then a set of kitchen knives aged nine for Christmas.

"Looking back it's a bit of a questionable decision for a nine-year-old but it all stemmed from there.

"I would get home from school, get my homework out the way and just start cooking.

"It started off with a lot of baking cakes and just progressed as I got older."

It is this early experience that helped him earn the title of Scottish Young Chef of the Year aged 19 while working in Glasgow. He also possesses success as the best British and Game young chef of the year.

The Northern Echo: James Close, chef/owner of the two Michelin star The Raby Hunt at Summerhouse, near Darlington James Close, chef/owner of the two Michelin star The Raby Hunt at Summerhouse, near Darlington (Image: RABY HUNT)

The Roux Scholarship regional finals take place in London and Birmingham on Wednesday with the national final set to take place in London next month.

The winner receives up to £12,000, to support their career development and an invitation to cook and train under the supervision of a leading chef at a prestigious three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world for up to three months.

"Everyone that's in the competition at this stage are all desperate to win it because the prize is unbelievable," Ferguson said.

"It's nice to make it this far and see my own progression as I entered the year before and didn't make it through."

The 25-year-old says his experience at The Raby Hunt has allowed him to develop new ideas and he has full faith in the dish he has prepared.

He added: "I feel confident because the dish I've put together is something I really want to eat myself. Every time I cook it I want to dig into it which is a good sign.

"Often with these competitions you go in and try and impress the judges and you're pushing yourself too far and the dish isn't as good as it could be.

"By believing in myself I am confident."

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