Entrants for this year's Roux Scholarship title have now been whittled down to six.
The line-up includes two previous national finalists, Matthew Tomkinson, from Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and Ben Webb, of Waldo's restaurant at Cliveden in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.
The other four competitors are Robert Thompson of Winteringham Fields, Lincolnshire; Gary Chang June Sing, of Bank Westminster, London; Bryn Williams of the Orrery, London; and Alan Irwin of Chapter One, Locksbottom, Kent.
The final competition will take place on 4 April at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in London. Past winners include Andrew Fairlie (Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles) and the current holder of the Craft Guild of Chefs' National Chef of the Year title, Steve Love.