A FORMER Chelmsford schoolboy turned London chef is battling it out in a national cooking competition.

Ollie Downey, 25, from Chiswick, studied at Moulsham High School but has gone on to be a Chef De Partie at the Fera restaurant at Claridge’s Hotel in London.

His role sees him run the meat and fish section of the restaurant

The competition is aimed at finding Britain’s best young chef.

The young chef has reached the regional finals of the Roux Scholarship competition and is competing for the chance to work at any three Michelin Star restaurant in the world and win £6,000.

Ollie said he has to make a fish course and a mystery dessert.

He added: “The ingredients for the meal I am making include trout, mussels and Jasmin rice.

“I do not want disclose much more information about my fish dish in case people get ideas. I have been practising my fish dish every day.

“The second part of the regional finals is the mystery box dessert.

“For that, we are given a selection of five or six ingredients and we have to make a dish out of what we are given but we do not know what the ingredients are until the day.

“Each chef will have to cook four plates of both dishes and we only have two and a half hours to complete this task.

“It is a bit stressful but I am lucky in that I have taken a week off work to practise and prepare for the competition, but it is a lot to organise.”

Ollie was put forward to compete in the Roux Scholarship by his manager at the hotel restaurant, Dan Cox.

The first stage of the competition is known as a paper entry where those taking part are expected to explain a dish with the given ingredients and each chef must then create that dish if they make it through to the regional finals.

The hotel chef will take part in one of two regional finals at the University of Westminster, London today.

The competition is judged by some of the best in the industry, including ex-Masterchef judge Michel Roux Junior. former BBC Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin, and Brian Turner CBE, from BBC 2’s Ready, Steady, Cook, among others.

The contest offers a title all young chefs want to win and many winners have gone on to run their own restaurants and earn Michelin stars.

Mr Downey said he has taken part in other cookery competitions in the past but not the Roux Scholarship.

He added: “If I am successful in the regionals, I would be looking at the finals - there will six chefs that make it through to that stage. But for now I am concentrating on the regional finals.”