Masterchef competitor from Bognor talks about his experiences on the prime-time TV show

Adam Young, who is originally from Felpham, secured his jump from sous chef to head chef on the back of his success on the BBC2 show.

The 24-year-old, who was working in Windsor, now plies his trade in The Dining Room At Purchases in North Street, Chichester.

It also makes home life much more convenient for Adam as he is now living in Chichester with his girlfriend, the assistant manager of a restaurant.

Adam's MasterChef experience '“ screened on October 5, 6 and 8 '“ was an intense test of his skills.

To get on the show he had to have two years' experience in a professional kitchen, pass a telephone interview and then impress at a face-to-face interview in London.

A total of 64 chefs took part, and Adam won two rounds before going out in the last 16, when two chefs from four went through from each of four quarter-finals after cooking a menu of their choice.

In the first round, Adam took a palate test, producing pesto and preparing and cooking butterfly king prawns for top chef Michel Roux's sous chef Monica.

Round two comprised two 'blind' tests for Michel, with the chefs presented with ingredients and then given tasks '“ one a classical

cookery test and the other a test of their imagination.

Judging his work in the quarter-finals were Michel, presenter Gregg Wallace and food critics Charles Campion (Evening Standard), William Sitwell (Waitrose Food Illustrated) and Kate Spicer (The Sunday Times).

He began well, with Kate describing his starter of beetroot tarte tatin with a caramelised pear salad as 'cute', while William called it 'innovative and attractive'.

William enjoyed his main course of pancetta-wrapped monkfish with fennel puree, baby carrots and a pomegranate emulsion, and Gregg thought it 'clever', but the judges felt the pomegranate idea did not work.

But when it came to dessert Adam was one of several victims of the contest's stringent time constraints.

All three courses had to be prepared and cooked from scratch in 90 minutes, with a set serving time for each. He prepared marbled chocolate fondant with an orange and mint salad, but had to tell the critics he could not serve it.

The dishes collapsed when he removed the rings in which they were cooked, and Michel noted they were 'liquid, and cold in the middle'.

Immediately after the contest, Adam told viewers: "I came here, I felt really positive. When I've practised the dish I've had no troubles at all. And just today it's all gone wrong."

However, after a few months' reflection '“ the series was filmed during the summer in a huge basement studio at City University in London used exclusively by the Professionals '“ he was over his disappointment and pinpointed the problems.

He said: "The emulsion didn't emulsify because the plate was too hot.

Everything was perfect until then.

"A fondant is like a sponge with a gooey centre. In practice it was

spot-on every time, but I was doing it in professional ovens at work.

"They only had ordinary house electric ovens on MasterChef so that time things weren't hot enough."

Adam gave an insight into how tense but exciting MasterChef was for those taking part.

He said: "Obviously it was nerve-wracking, the anticipation before you are going in '“ you don't know what to expect. Constantly in the back of your mind you're thinking you're cooking for Michel Roux, one of

the best chefs you could possibly meet, voted the seventh-best chef in the world. To cook for someone like that, with two Michelin stars, is a privilege."

Adam was put forward for the show by Darren Kimber, the former head chef at the Goodwood Park Hotel and later the executive head chef at the Oakley Court Hotel in Windsor.

Adam worked for Darren at both and credits him for how far his career has progressed.

Adam said: "If it wasn't for Darren, I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't have done MasterChef and be in the top position that I'm in. He's the one I've travelled around with.

"From the age of 14 or 15 I wanted to be a chef. I started by washing

up in Felpham village. I got a job at The George Inn."

From there he moved up through a range of local hotels '“ the Beachcroft, Goodwood Park, Bailiffscourt and Langstone '“ before moving to Windsor at the Castle Hotel and then Oakley Court, on the Thames.

Jill Young, Adam's mum, said: "I'm extremely proud of what he's done. I work for Tesco, and the amount of phone calls I've had and the number of staff and customers who have come up to me to talk about Adam is amazing.

"He has worked very, very hard. He did two years at Chichester College to become qualified but decided to do a third year and came out with brilliant grades.

"He's competed in Birmingham and London and has won no end of medals. He's a very clever boy."

Even when whipping up a meal at home, Adam thinks about food in a professional way.

He said: "If I was going to cook for myself I would try a new thing. You think of something in your head and put it into practice. If I like it I will ask someone else's opinion because it's their tastes you have got to worry about.

"If you enjoy something you are going to want to succeed in it."

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