WIRRAL CHEFS SHINE 2008: Rising star Jonathan's competition bid

May 28 2008 By Lorna Hughes

A WEEKEND job set Jonathan Burgess on his way to a career as a chef.

The 19-year-old from West Kirby has worked his way up from preparing vegetables at the Riverhill Hotel, Oxton, to rising star in the kitchens of Thornton Hall Hotel.

Now the chef de partie is preparing for his biggest challenge yet - Wirral Chefs Shine.

The former Birkenhead School student said: “At home I used to help my dad cook but it was never in my mind to become a chef.

“When I was 16, I started to help with a bit of veg prep at the Riverhill then one day they were a bit short so they wanted someone to help with the orders.

“I was proud of the food that went out and I started to think it was something I could do.”

Jonathan started work at Thornton Hall Hotel last summer as a commis chef and quickly won a promotion to chef de partie.

He is now working towards an NVQ Level 2 qualification in food preparation at Wirral Met.

Jonathan has drawn on his experiences as a chef and his own culinary preferences to create a menu he hopes will be a Wirral Chefs Shine winner.

He said: “I’ve thought about what I’ve done in the past and what I like to cook. For the main I also thought about what I liked to eat - I like beef and I thought poaching it would be a different way to present it.

“The dessert is smooth and light, using seasonal redcurrants.”

He added: “I’m going to be nervous on the night but I know I’ve got people there who will back me up.

“I’d like to spend some time abroad in the future but at the moment I want to stay at Thornton Hall. Our executive chef thinks I’ve progressed well and our head chef is really good to work with.

“For me the best part of the job is the buzz on a Saturday night when you’re working hard, in the middle of your service and you see the food coming out.

“It’s a job you’ve got to have a passion for - you can’t do it without.”

l Wirral Chefs Shine in the Italian Room Restaurant, Thornton Hall Hotel, takes place on Tuesday, June 10 from 7pm. The cost of the meal is £14.

To book call the hotel on 336 3938.