EIGHT talented Cumbrian chefs are looking to 'give back' to a South Lakeland college by hosting a charity dinner.

The group of cooks helping to create the special eight-course tasting menu are all either alumni of or student mentors for Kendal College.

Martin Frickel, sous chef at Forest Side in Grasmere, said that he owed a lot to the college and hoped this would be a way of saying 'thank you'.

"I really enjoyed my three years at college and it really set me up for going on to good things in my career," the former Kendal College student said. "So I cannot really thank the college enough and hence why we wanted to give back."

The chef line-up includes recent MasterChef contestants Matt Campbell, who is a private chef, and Ryan Blackburn, who is chef proprietor of The Old Stamp House in Ambleside.

It will also feature Arthur Bridgeman Quin from The Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Scott Fairweather of The Black Swan, Ravenstonedale, Mike Southcott from Café Ambio, Will Dickinson from Greencore and Andrew Postlethwaite of the Three Hares, Sedbergh.

"It's quite a close knit community," Mr Frickel explained. "We are all here to help each other out really. We do not see each other as competition."

Each chef will create one dish each as well as a snack, utilising as much locally sourced produce as is possible.

"Each dish has to have a story and it has to have a meaning for that chef as well," Mr Frickel said. "We are using a lot of local Cumbrian suppliers so it's all about showing off great Cumbrian produce and cooking some great food with some very talented chefs."

Money raised at the event will go towards the Kendal College culinary team and will help the students go on an overseas trip to broaden their food horizons.

Mr Frickel was on the team when he attended Kendal College and enjoyed a trip to Chicago.

"As a culinary student you want to explore as many new avenues of food as you can," he said. "To go to different cities all over the world and explore their food culture is a real eye opener for someone who is 18-years-old and an aspiring chef."

The event will take place on February 23 and tickets for the evening go on sale at 10am on January 29, priced at £100 per person.

To secure a ticket please call 01539 814 700 quoting 'Alumni’ at the time of booking.