A PROMISING young chef has come out top in a county wide cooking competition.

Thanet College student Mark McEachran won Kent Young Chef of the Year after beating six finalists in a cook-off at the college in Broadstairs.

Each contestant had just £5 per head to spend on their ingredients and Mark’s pigeon dish and modern interpretation of rhubarb crumble impressed the top panel of judges which included Mark Rossi , executive chef from the Abode Hotel in Canterbury, Neil Wiggins , head chef at Eastwell Manor in Ashford, John Warnett from BBC Radio Kent and Adrian Robbins from event sponsor Whitehead Monckton Solicitors.

The 23-year-old from Deal decided he wanted a career in cooking while studying a degree in media at Canterbury Christ Church University.

He said: “I was working part-time as a chef and I got fed up with media. Cooking was always my passion but I’d never thought about making a career of it.”

As part of his prize Mark has been offered work experience at the Abode Hotel in Canterbury. He was also given £500, a set of knives and a chef’s jacket.

Judge Mark Rossi said: “The standard was very good and there was little to choose from in terms of first and second place.”