THE owners of a luxury Lakes hotel who spent four nights in the national TV spotlight as they searched for a new executive head chef have expressed their delight after making the final choice.

Appearing in BBC 2's Chefs on Trial, hosted by hospitality expert Alex Polizzi, Windermere's Gilpin Hotel and Lake House gave 35-year-old Hrishikesh Desai the coveted role.

The Cunliffe family who own the hotel said afterwards: "After a tense week we are thrilled to welcome someone with Hrishikesh’s immense talent to Gilpin.

"Not only does he have a unique blend of skills and experience, but he is a man of true humility and fits in perfectly with the ethos of our family business."

Hrishikesh said: “This is the job I’ve always wanted. The opportunity to work at a Relais & Châteaux hotel with such a superb reputation is genuinely a dream come true.

"As viewers of the programme will have seen, it was an intense and at times emotional process, but I’m so thankful to have the chance to come to the fabulous Lake District and create some exciting and inspirational new menus in my own distinctive style.”

The cook beat off stiff competition from eight others in a gruelling interview process to get into the final three where he was put through his paces again in a tougher test of his management and culinary skills.

An award winner already, he is one of the few chefs to have won both the Roux Scholarship (2009) and the Craft Guild of Chef’s National Chef of the Year (2010).

The chef has a wealth of experience in kitchens including California's three star French Laundry and two star Les Maison de Bricourt, in France.

The family-run Gilpin Hotel was desperate to fill its vacancy and better its reputation in the restaurant world after a summer of agency chefs.

In a statement, the Cunliffe's said: "Hrishikesh is a perfect addition to the existing team, which includes our fantastic head chef Lee Bird.

"We hope he is with us for many years to come."

The family added: "Finding the right blend of culinary talent and business acumen for our restaurant has been a delicate balancing act, and Alex’s expertise has helped add a special dimension to what has been a unique - and very exciting - interview process.”