Jane meets celebrity chef

5:16pm Friday 18th July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A CULINARY enthusiast from Winchester won a contest to boost her cooking skills at a masterclass with celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal.

Mother-of-one, Jane Carlyle-Scott, entered the competition after spotting it in a magazine.

She was one of 10 winners in the subsequent prize draw, sponsored by Finish, and was invited to the chef's kitchen in Bray, Berkshire, yesterday (July 17).

Mrs Carlyle-Scott, 36, an IT worker in Basingstoke, is a keen cook in her spare time.

She said: "I like to cook a lot of seasonal dishes, and it's wonderful that we have the Winchester Farmers' Market right on our doorstep.

"One of my favourite dishes is to marinate a piece of beef overnight with chillies. I then fry it quickly and serve it with mustard mash."

During the celebrity chef's masterclass, he demonstrated to the winners how to create top dishes by using taste, smell and presentation.

Mrs Carylye-Scott added: "He was very easy to get on with. It felt a little bit like meeting Willy Wonka in his chocolate factory, just because he knows so much about the subject.

"He was very informative, and because he didn't start out as a chef, it really came across how interested he is in cookery."

After the masterclass, Mrs Carlyle-Scott, who lives in Stratton Road, St Giles Hill, had a complementary meal at the chef's award-winning restaurant, The Fat Duck.

"It was the best meal I've ever had in my life. It even exceeded my expectations," she said.