SELF-confessed food fan John Cartledge cooked up a memorable role swap when he became a Chef for a Day at a Horwich restaurant.
John, aged 44, from Bolton, works as a technical support officer for BT.
But he has long been passionate about food. "It all started whilst watching Rick Stein's first TV series 'A Taste of the Sea'," he said.
"It prompted me to begin to experiment in cooking for entertaining. It was seeing Rick's passions for all things farmed from the water that just made me want to try to recreate some of his dishes."
John cooked for friends and, of course, ate out himself -- sampling food at some of the nation's most famous restaurants, like the Manchester restaurants of Paul Heathcote and Raymond Blanc and, of course, hero Rick Stein's premises in Padstow, Cornwall.
But he desperately wanted the chance to work as a chef in the kitchens of a real restaurant.
Enter Michael Harrison -- ex-owner of a Bolton town centre brasserie and long-time culinary expert. Michael's outside catering business is now based at the Paragon Business Park in Horwich, where his own upmarket canteen-restaurant has branched out into special culinary evenings.
John went along to enjoy one of the Culinary Secrets evenings of demonstration and fine food and was hooked.
So when Michael asked him if he would like to join his kitchen for the day and help create a "dinner party" for 50, John jumped at the chance. He chopped, prepared and cooked and generally assisted in the four-course gourmet meal which included filo pastry parcels of braised vegetables and Gruyere cheese, roasted tuna with five purees, grilled lamb rump with ratatouille and a sweet of watermelon soup and mousse.
"John fitted in very well," said Michael. "He coped with the pressure and worked hard." As for John, he absolutely loved the experience. "It was wonderful!" he reported, smiling broadly as he acknowledged the genuine appreciation of the diners.
"I thought it might be noisy and disorganised, with someone like Gordon Ramsay shouting at the staff. But Michael was very calm, well organised and disciplined. Everyone had a job and did it, and the time just flew by."
Now, though John has no thoughts of giving up his day job in Manchester, he would love another chance.
"Well," added Michael, "I've told John that he can come into the kitchens again on a day when we open as a normal restaurant for the public.
"Now that's real pressure."
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