TRAINEE chef Andy White has come up with a winning recipe -- as a snooker player!

In his first season of competitive snooker, Andy who has just celebrated his 17th birthday, is the first rookie to win the St Helens Thursday League Individual title.

Andy, who lives with his grandparents in Patterdale Drive, Grange Park, has had an interest in snooker since he found a four-foot snooker table among his Christmas presents as a nine-year-old. But he only decided to take the sport seriously after becoming enthralled by the televised World Professional Championship.

"It looked like a good sport and was one that would fit in with my training activities, because my principal ambition is to become a top chef", said Andy.

He joined Scala Snooker Centre in Ormskirk Street and his enthusiasm was fired when he joined the club's snooker teams.

Andy explained: "Team play introduced me to a lot of good players and that gave me something to aim at, I really wanted to improve my game".

He has been helped in this direction by Scala resident professional Craig Harrison, who is one of only 38 qualified World Snooker Association coaches in the world. Craig said: "Andy has set the standard for the other up-and-coming players. It is a marvellous achievement to have taken this title at such an early stage of his career, and in doing so he has beaten players with a wealth of experience in league snooker".

Among his scalps were the talented Gary Shaw-Binns, who went down in the semi-final, and beaten finalist John Robie.

John had the best of starts in the final, played over two frames, when he potted brilliantly in the first frame. But Andy hit back in the later stages of the match and ran out a convincing winner.

"I want to be good and I have targets. I would like to add the St Helens Wednesday League title and then build up a collection. But I have to be realistic and I need to improve much, much more. Craig has been a terrific help. My game has come on leaps and bounds since I sounded him out for lessons, and I hope that under his direction it will improve even more", added Andy, who is in the middle of a two-year course at Colours Restaurant run under the auspices of St Helens College.