HE IS the Hampshire man who made it through to the national final of a prestigious competition aimed at finding Britain’s best young chef.

Matthew Whitfield, 28, from Southampton, whose passion for cooking started at Eastleigh College when he was only 16, was one of six finalists judged by top chefs, including Michel Roux Jr and Saturday Kitchen host James Martin, in the contest for the Roux Scholarship.

The scholarship winner is given the chance to train at a three-star Michelin restaurant.

Matthew, a former pupil of the the Gregg School in Southampton, didn’t win but says the competition was a valuable experience which has given him confidence.

He said: “The first stage was judged blind. They chose 18 people to go through. Then I cooked in Birmingham and then I passed that stage and cooked in London.”

During the final Matthew was asked to cook a Hare Royale with tagliatelle, broccoli and chestnut.

He said: “There was a lot of pressure but it was fantastic that we cooked for legends. This experience takes you out of your comfort zone. You cook something you’ve never cooked before.

“It was very challenging; they told us what they wanted and I had to work out how to do it. I’ve learnt a lot.

“Cooking for such incredible chefs is the thing I liked the most. This experience teaches you what you can really do if you really push yourself.”

After college Matthew started his career at Botley Park Hotel and at The Bugle Inn in Botley.

He then worked in Brussels for a two-star Michelin restaurant and now works at the Driftwood Hotel in Cornwall.

“You have to have a passion for what you do. You must have a genuine passion, a drive and be willing to work very hard.

“My dream is to open my own restaurant and to have two Michelin stars,” he said.

Matthew said that if he can he will apply for the competition again next year.