Where it all began?

I have always been interested in cooking. One of my first Christmas presents as a child was a toy cooker that my Dad built for me out of chipwood. It was painted white, with a door for the oven and other dials and rings glued or painted on.

Then as I became older I enjoyed cooking for real and would often bake cakes at home. At secondary school, I competed twice in the BBC's Junior Materchef competition in the regional heats and began to think about a career in the industry. In 1996, I completed two week's work experience at a local tea-rooms. At 15, I was then offered my first job at a local pub, as a waiter and was involved in some food preparation at the Star Inn, Norman's Bay. During this time I also worked as a casual employee at Eastbourne's five star Grand Hotel.

Following this experience and after leaving school, I began a full time course at Hastings College of Arts and Technology. After leaving the course, with a GNVQ Advanced in Hospitality and Catering, I worked as a waiter at the Langham Hotel, Eastbourne. I also worked briefly for TV Chef Tony Tobin at the Dining Room 2, Haywards Heath and at Tesco's as a wines and spirits General Assistant.