AN innovative South Lakeland pizza chef will be taking three of his creations to the finals of a prestigious national awards ceremony this November.

Ryan McNab, 35,who is the chef at The Britannia at Penny Bridge, will showcase his culinary achievements at the Pizza and Pasta Awards 2016 ceremony in London.

His offerings made it through the semi-finals in three separate categories, which were each based on a specific ingredient supplied to the chefs that they needed to include.

Mr McNab said: "I'm mainly self-taught. I learnt how to make the bases and how to spin them. With the toppings I think of something that people enjoy eating and create a pizza that tastes like that.

"I have always eaten pizza from when it was a staple food in my student days. It is one of the most popular take out foods in the country.

"Because of its diversity you can pretty much put anything on a pizza and as long as it tastes nice people will like it."

Mr McNab has a history of experimenting with flavours. He worked as a cocktail maker in Leeds, and also has experience as a waiter in Jamie's Italian in the same city. Here he was required to know as much about ingredients and what goes to0gether well so he could inform customers about what they were eating.

The pizzas that have made it through to the finals of UK Pizza Chef of the Year are called 'What The Duck'; 'Fajitzza' and 'La Tomatina'.

"What The Duck is based on crispy duck pancakes, and includes Hoi-sin sauce," explained Mr McNab. "Fatizza includes all the ingredients you would expect on a fajita, and La Tomatina is named after the Spanish tomato throwing festival. That one had to include sun-blushed tomatoes."

Mr McNab said that he first started out making pizzas when he helped a friend working in a different pub, which had a spare kitchen and pizza oven that they could use.

After this he saw that The Britannia were looking for a chef, and set up by himself there.

The Britannia now runs a special Wednesday night pizza night, where Mr McNab's signature recipes can be tried.

The pizza chef competition will take place on November 10. It will be judged by Park Lane chef Theo Randall.