Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was in Birmingham yesterday to offer a young aspiring chef the chance to work with him in his award- winning kitchens.
The Hells Kitchen star launched The Gordon Ramsay Scholarship Award at Birmingham's College of Food.
Young chefs from across the country competed in the two day cook-off which finishes today.
The 12 student chefs and 32 professional chefs were chosen to take part in what is considered to be one of the most prestigious events in the industry.
Ramsay was judging the semi-finals of his competition at the college, where young chefs had to show off their creative culinary skills in the kitchen.
Among the competitors were two Birmingham College of Food catering students Paul Proffitt and Ka Fu Choy who are hoping to make it to the finals.
As part of the competition, the chefs had to prepare a main meal and a dessert from a surprise box ingredients in two-and-a-half hours.
The Gordon Ramsay Scholarship Award initiative was created in 2001 to encourage young cooks to pursue their passion for food.
It was designed to enable students and cooks across the United Kingdom to achieve their ambition as well as opening the door to a whole range of career opportunities.
Jane Smith, marketing manager at the college, said: "The established reputation of one of the judges Gordon Ramsay also contributes towards raising the profile of the college.
"It also puts young cooks in a position where they have the chance to learn and demonstrate a diverse range of skills from management to presentation abilities in the stressful kitchen.
"As for Gordon Ramsay, he is certainly an inspirational figure within his profession and has shown a great deal of interest and encouragement towards the competitors."
Prizes up for grabs in the competition includes work experience in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and a Spanish vineyard restaurant as well as top quality chefs knives.
