TALENTED chef Richard Cullen will cook for television's James Martin today after progressing in a national competition.
The award-winning head chef at the Spot Gate Inn, Spot Acre, near Meir Heath, will be accompanied by chefs from Michelin starred restaurants at the Birmingham College of Food.
He is one of 18 finalists in the prestigious Roux Scholarship 2011 and this is his reward for wowing judges with his monkfish osso bucco.
He will now cook the recipe in front of Saturday Kitchen presenter and chef James Martin, Alain Roux, son of restaurateur Michel Roux and 1997 Roux scholar Steve Love.
Contestants will also have a mystery list of ingredients to serve a dessert.
The 25-year-old, pictured right, who lives in Park Hall, is looking forward to receiving advice from the TV chef.
Richard said: "It's amazing to get this far because you don't normally get the chance to cook in front of these names.
"You get to chat with them and pick their brains and they'll help you improve on things.
"I've always followed James Martin's career and enjoyed the things he does.
"He's got a good mind and I agree with the way he cooks and I've got a few of his books."
Richard first started cooking when his parents, Mike and Janice Cullen, started to run the pub 11 years ago.
He will cook with five other finalists in Birmingham while 12 other finalists will cook in London. Six spaces are up for grabs.
Richard said: "Out of the other five I'm cooking with two chefs who are from two-star Michelin restaurants and three who are from one-star Michelin restaurants so I'm flying the flag for Stoke-on-Trent.
"People that come from these sort of restaurants are mentored by head chefs so I'm pretty chuffed to get all of this done myself.
"A lot of people in the competition have entered before and got to the final so just being involved with these guys is exciting because I know how hard it is to get there."
The former St Joseph's College, Trent Vale, pupil is no stranger succeeding in competitions.
He won Staffordshire Young Chef of the Year in 2006 and was crowned Master Chef in the prestigious Taste of Staffordshire Awards in 2008.
He also took part in BBC television competition Masterchef, reaching the second round in 2009.
"I always liked to keep entering these competitions otherwise you don't know where you are," he said.
He has also done stints at one of Gordon Ramsay's Michelin-starred restaurants and London's Dorchester.
And the ultimate prize for the winner of the competition is a three month work placement at a worldwide restaurant of their choosing.
His dad, 56-year-old Mike, said: "This competition is regarded that highly that the chef can choose any restaurant in the world.
"Richard has his eye on the French Laundry, in California, which is one of the top restaurants in America.
"It's quite an accolade to get this far if you look at the competition."
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