Lewis Gallagher is one youngster making an impact, the aspiring chef from Stanley House Hotel and Spa Mellor shares his secrets to success . . . 

Being a young chef from Blackburn, I didn’t really think I would soon be learning from the likes of Michael Cain and visiting foodie hotspots across Europe. Yet it’s being here, in East Lancashire that has actually helped me excel in my career.

A part time chef job working for family soon became a full time passion and following a culinary course at college, I later gained a position at Stanley House Hotel and Spa.

It was within this role where the opportunities started to arise for an aspiring young chef to make his mark, a void which I was enthusiastic about filling.

It’s a pleasure to be able to work in an establishment where everything is produced fresh in-house.

Pair that with a collective passion for cooking top quality food and you really have the winning formula, it’s no surprise that there has been a huge surge in other youngsters wanting to come and gain the same valuable experience.

Anyone can cook but to be able to produce food with a difference, you need to have that drive to be able to create something extra special.

Having a willingness to put in the hours that the catering and hospitality sector demands certainly helps too.

I have had the philosophy instilled in me from my mentors that you receive double what you put in, so I work at 100 per cent.

Behind all my success is the ongoing support I receive from my Acorn scholarship mentors and my colleagues at Stanley House. I have learnt that the key to producing good food is that we all enjoy what we do, and that has definitely been a key factor in establishing myself as a chef.

However, the ultimate secret to success is that there is no secret. You just have to enjoy what you do and be passionate about doing it.

The future is looking exciting and I am really looking forward to passing on more of my experience to others who want to follow in my footsteps.