WITH the Pride of East Lancashire gala night just weeks away, we've signed up top chef Nigel Smith from the Feilden's Arms at Mellor Brook and set him one of the most interesting challenges of his illustrious career.

Here John Anson talks to him about his career...

HE'S cooked for the Queen and prepared banquets for celebrities. Now Nigel Smith will be bringing his culinary expertise to one of the most glittering nights in East Lancashire in recent years.

For Nigel has accepted our invitation to prepare a gala dinner for 400 specially invited guests at the Pride of East Lancashire awards evening at King George's Hall, Blackburn, in November.

In keeping with the campaign, which is showcasing all that is good about the area, Nigel will be devising a three-course menu with an East Lancashire theme.

"It's certainly an exciting challenge," he said. "I have never seen anything like the Pride of East Lancashire Awards and I think it is a tremendous idea."

Growing up in Preston, from the age of seven Nigel Smith was destined to be a chef. "It's the only thing I ever really wanted to do," he said.

By the age of 11, while his friends would spend their weekends playing football, the future award-winning chef would be working in the kitchens of the Dalmeiny Hotel.

"I didn't get paid, I just wanted to be in a kitchen to learn as much as I could," he said.

After studying catering at Blackburn College, Nigel worked for two years at the Savoy in London then returned to his native Lancashire where he was at the Broughton Park, before being invited to run the prestigious C'est La Vie Restaurant. During that time he was asked to provide the catering for Andrew Lloyd-Webber's wedding, preparing food for 3,500 guests.

Nigel has also worked for one of the country's leading contract catering companies, which saw him prepare a la carte dining for 1,200 opera lovers at the Glyndbourne festival and lunch for the Queen when she opened Liverpool's Albert Dock.

As the chef at Churchill's in Upholland, Nigel secured a restaurant of the year award before he was invited to open a brand new hotel in Newcastle.

In the North East he became a familiar face with his own cookery series on regional TV, as well as slots on the Big Breakfast.

In the two-and-a-half years that Nigel has been at the Feilden's Arms at Mellor Brook, he has transformed it into one of East Lancashire's leading eating establishments. He will also be responsible for a new country house hotel which will be opening in Mellor in the spring.

As well as his involvement as chef patron at the Feilden's Arms, which serves around 650 meals every week, Nigel also oversees Inside and Out, the Feilden's own contract catering operation, which handles catering at major events such as the Southport Flower Show.

"For me the most important thing is the quality and consistency of the catering," said Nigel. "It's not all about pretty patterns on a plate, it's about good food which is served well and which people will enjoy."

But Nigel Smith he is keeping tight lipped about the menu for the Pride of East Lancashire gala dinner.

"I don't want to spoil it," he said, "but it will definitely have a special East Lancashire theme in keeping with this excellent campaign."

The 400 invited guests who will enjoy the dinner will include the three finalists in each of the campaign's award categories, civic dignitaries from across East Lancashire, the events sponsor and their guests plus an array of household names from the worlds of sport and showbusiness.

"This campaign has certainly captured the imagination of East Lancashire," said Nigel, "and I am looking forward to being part of it.

"I have always been proud of my Lancashire roots and it is about time that there was something like this which recognised the achievements of the people of the area.

"There is so much of which we can be proud and the gala night will be a fitting end to an excellent campaign.