A YOUNG Horrabridge chef will be competing for national honours in a cooking competition on Monday — as well as a £2,000 prize and an all-expenses paid trip to New Zealand.

Anthony Rush, 21, who now lives in Cheltenham, is second chef at Le Champignon Sauvage.

A former student at Tavistock College, Anthony worked at the Horn of Plenty in Gulworthy for more than two years while attending catering college.

It is the second time Anthony has entered the American Express Young Chef 2000 awards, but only the first time he has made it through to the final.

To get this far he has had to demonstrate his skill by skinning and filleting fish, poaching eggs and making the perfect Baked Alaska, as well as producing a mouth-watering concoction from surprise ingredients.

Anthony pan-fried fillets of trout in chili, shallots and tarragon olive oil with a pea and parsley sauce.

In the final, to be held in London, Anthony will have to cook a three-course meal for six people, based around a leg of lamb and sweetmeats.

'I'm not so much nervous as really looking forward to it,' he said. 'I'm more at ease because I know what I'm going to be doing.'