A school chef and ‘dinner man’ from Chesham scooped a top prize at the regional heats of the LACA School Chef of the Year awards.

Colin Wilson, 54, who works at Chesham Grammar School, took home the Highly Commended Main Course award after cooking up a storm in a Masterchef-style competition.

Mr Wilson’s main course – aptly named Grammar’s Chesham Chicken – was coconut chicken served with flatbread, vegetable ragu and vegetable pilaf, and his dessert – Bucks bread pudding – was an orange and Shreddie bread pudding with a creamy mango custard.

Speaking about the win, he said he felt “fantastic” when his main course was given the accolade.

He said: “I wasn’t expecting to win but I didn’t go into the competition to lose – I was very confident.

“My family are over the moon for me.”

The contestants were taken to Gatwick, where the competition took place, to cook their dishes against the clock under the scrutiny of a panel of judges. They were given 90 minutes to prepare four portions of a main course and dessert suitable for serving to 11-year-olds at school.

Mr Wilson added: “We were only allowed to use the ingredients we were provided. We were given a list of ingredients and then we had to go and create a menu.

“I picked the dishes I did because of my cultural background – I wanted it to be around the Commonwealth.

“My mum made the best bread-and-butter pudding when I was growing up and my dad loved a curry.”

He was one of three winners, and the only one from south Bucks.

Mr Wilson, who loves to cook and is a member of the Chesham allotment group, said he felt “fortunate” to be able to turn his hobby into a career.

He added: “School dinners are getting so much better. Jamie Oliver made a massive difference with what he did.”

He said he is planning to enter the competition again next year, and is hoping to scoop the top award of overall winner and regional champion which, this year, went to Barry Brewington of Medway UTC, Chatham, Kent.