A talented ‘dinner man’ is competing to be named the best school cook in the country - and hoping to fly the flag for male cooks everywhere.

Barry Brewington, who works at Medway University Technical College, will be battling against nine others from around the UK at the final of the School Chef of the Year 2017. It takes place at Stratford upon Avon College in Warwickshire today.

The 2017 national final is expected to be a fiercely fought cook off with a little gender rivalry in the process. The competition this year has seen more ‘dinner men’ taking part than ever before.

It is the first time male chefs have reached the final - so Mr Brewington could be the first man to win School Chef of the Year in the competition’s 20 year history.

Mr Brewington, who studied at the same catering college in Thanet as celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes and Richard Phillips, earned his place after winning the south east regional heat in January, when he impressed the judges with his Moroccan meatballs and Italian panna cotta.

For the final, the judging panel will be two Year 6 pupils from a Stratford upon Avon school together with a professional chef, an education catering expert, a nutritionist and the reigning 2016 champion.

"The real test is whether there is any food left on the plates, and there rarely is" - Barry Brewington

Mr Brewington inherited his passion for cooking from his mum - who is famous for her homemade cheese straws.

He has worked in catering since he graduated and been at Medway UTC since it opened in 2015, cooking for 130 pupils every day.

He said: “We get some lovely comments about the food from students. The real test is whether there is any food left on the plates, and there rarely is.”

The 60-year-old also enjoys cooking for his three daughters, aged 22, 23, and 26, and partner Kathy, and has been practising his dishes at the college in Gillingham and at his home in West Malling.