A CLOSE friend of Lake District chef Matt Campbell, who tragically died while running this year's London Marathon, has been sharing his legacy with aspiring chefs.

Martin Frickel, senior sous chef at Grasmere's Forest Side, was invited to the 2018 Young Seafood Chef of the Year competition to recreate the dish he and Matt cooked to win the contest 10 years ago.

Back in 2008 the pair of Kendal College students beat seven other finalists with their triumphant plate of North Atlantic cod, wild boar pancetta, egg and peas.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Matt's untimely death prompted the organisers of this year's contest to ask Martin if he would honour his friend's memory at the mentor's day prior to the 2018 final.

Martin readily agreed and travelled to Grimsby with his and Matt's former tutor, Yannick Lequitte, to cook the dish for an audience of chefs coming up through the ranks - salted and cured cod loin, gently cooked sous vide; crushed peas dressed with wild garlic oil and kombucha (fermented tea); pickled wild garlic stems; wild boar pancetta crisps; cured egg yolk and wild boar 'baconnaise'; finished with home-grown pea shoots and wild garlic flowers and paired with Real Kombucha’s Royal Flush, a sparkling fermented Darjeeling tea.

Martin said: "I’m massively saddened by the fact Matt couldn’t share this moment with me. I’m pretty sure, though, he would have a huge smile on his face at the situation - a former winning student busy mentoring the next crop of students. It must be said I reckon he would have loved that; inspiring people and making them think about the food they eat was him all over."

Matt was an NVQ level 2 culinary arts student, and Martin an NVQ level 3 patisserie student, when they won the 2008 title. Matt became a successful private chef and achieved fame on MasterChef The Professionals. Martin, meanwhile, helped to launch the Michelin-starred Forest Side with head chef Kevin Tickle, and was a winner at The Caterer magazine's Acorn awards for rising hospitality stars.

Richard Axford, Kendal College's assistant head of hospitality and catering at Kendal College, said the two friends had shared "an underpinning passion for food".

Kendal College's chef lecturer Yannick Lequitte was instrumental in Martin and Matt entering the contest 10 years ago. He recalled: "The judges said the dish was elegant and technically accomplished – that was Martin’s influence. It was also highly praised for the original flavour combinations and vibrancy. That was Matt.

"Together they created a dish that wouldn’t be out of place on any modern menu, and they created it ten years ago. They both always sought excellence, and that’s what made them such incredible chefs.”