A YOUNG Lake District chef is to cook for the legendary Roux family today (Thursday, March 23) in their world-famous competition.

In the kitchens of Gilpin Hotel, near Windermere, Peter Turnpenny has been busy perfecting the dish of rainbow trout and jasmine rice that secured him a place in the semi-finals of the Roux Scholarship.

Peter, 25, of Windermere, is head pastry chef and senior sous chef at Hrishi, the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant.

Gilpin's managers, owners, kitchen team and receptionists have all given the seal of approval to Peter's Thai-inspired recipe, describing the flavours as "spot on, clean and precise".

Barney and Zoë Cunliffe, of the family who run Gilpin Hotel, said: "We are so proud to see Peter get through to the semi-finals of the Roux Scholarship. He is a young man who has faced enormous challenges throughout his life, and yet has the passion, determination and sheer force of will to work incredibly hard, practising night after night, often after work, to achieve something so special.

"For us as a family and for our executive head chef, Hrishikesh Desai (a Roux Scholar himself), this gives us great joy and satisfaction."

Speaking ahead of today's regional finals in Birmingham and London, Peter told the Gazette he would be 'excited' to be among the 18 chefs chosen by a panel of judges. They include cousins Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr, James Martin and Brian Turner.

"I don't tend to let nerves get the best of me," said the Sheffield-born chef. "It shows I'm doing things in the right direction and things are going well, that I can cook to that level and get it recognised."

The scholarship is described as one of the most world's most prestigious competitions for chefs. The winner's prize is a coveted three-month stage at a three-star Michelin restaurant, and many Roux Scholars have gone on to run their own restaurants and earn Michelin stars.

Entrants were invited to submit a recipe for four people featuring one whole fresh rainbow trout, 800g live mussels and two garnishes, one to include jasmine rice. A dessert is also to be prepared from a mystery box of ingredients.

Although the details of Peter's recipe are a secret, he said it has "a Thai theme" while staying true to "classical cooking methods".

"I've already practised it about 20-odd times," he told the Gazette.

The head pastry chef has worked at the five-star Gilpin Hotel for 19 months, and was previously at Lucknam Park's Michelin-starred restaurant, near Bath.