A TEENAGE chef is set to launch a new restaurant next month at a Cookham hotel.

18-year-old Luke Thomas will open his 45-seat eatery, Luke’s Dining Room at Sanctum on the Green, on March 6.

Luke, who will head the restaurant as Chef Patron, has been cooking since the age of 12.

He said: “Cooking is not just a passion, it’s my life.

“I know I still have a lot to learn, but this job is both a challenge and a wonderful opportunity."

Since winning the Springboard’s Future Chef award at only 15-years-old, the young cook from North Wales, has worked at some of the world’s greatest Michelin Starred restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, Garry Rhodes’ Rhodes in Dubai, Alinea in Chicago and La Pergola in Rome.