A Blairgowrie chef has reached the final heats of a prestigious UK cooking contest.
Darren Seggie is part of a team of three culinary wizards who are flying the flag for Scotland in the Nestle Professional Toque D’Or.
The 26-year-old and teammates Lenka Faksova and Jennifer Marley made it through to the final round after beating off strong competition at the regional stage.
The team, representing City of Glasgow College, is now up against six other student teams from across England. The competition continues in London over the weekend.
Darren, who attended Blairgowrie High School, said he was thrilled to have made it so far.
“I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to take part in the Torque D’Or competition never mind reach the final as not a lot of people get to participate in something as big as this.
“Given the number of colleges competing, reaching the final is amazing. It would be unbelievable to win it.”
Darren, who combines his college course with work as a chef at Glasgow’s Stravaigin restaurant, has dreams of emulating culinary icons Tom Kerridge and Paul Ainsworth.
Even so, Darren, who previously worked at the Bridge of Cally Hotel, recognises that his heroes closer to home have helped him progress as a chef, enabling him to achieve the standard required to take part in a global competition such as Toque D’Or.
“My mum and dad (Denise and Allan, who still live in Blairgowrie) have been so supportive, and my first head chef, Kenny Bruce (formerly of Bridge of Cally Hotel), gave me my first chance and taught me work ethic,” he said.