AN Inverclyde cooking connoisseur who worked under one of Scotland's greatest chefs has paid tribute to his former boss by going for glory in a prestigious competition.

Jonathan Ferguson has proved he has all the right ingredients after making it through to the semi final of the The Roux Scholarship - a competition judged by globally renowned chefs including Michel Roux Jnr, Brian Turner CBE and James Martin.

It offers the chance to train in a three-star Michelin kitchen anywhere in the world.

The 23-year-old hopes to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, the late Andrew Fairlie.

One of the country’s most celebrated chefs, he died last January after a long battle with a brain tumour.

Jonathan, who worked at The Andrew Fairlie restaurant at Gleneagles - the only place in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars - said he has been inspired by his former boss, who won the first Roux Scholarship in 1984.

Jonathan said: "I worked at The Andrew Fairlie restaurant for four and a half years - it was amazing.

"I just left there in January this year.

"The restaurant is very good for young people to learn how to do the basics very well and how to improve yourself.

"This is the second year that I've entered the Roux Scholarship and last year I didn't get through to this stage, so it's a good feeling to get through

"Andrew Fairlie was the first person to win the competition so I'll try and follow in his footsteps.

"Working alongside Andrew was great as he wasn't like most other chefs - he was very calm.

"He was just a good person to work for and treated his staff the way he wanted to be treated.

"Because Andrew passed away it's a personal one for me.

"I would like to replicate what he did."

Jonathan, who is a former pupil of St Columba's School in Kilmacolm, says he's had a lifelong passion for cooking.

He said: "I started cooking at home when I was about eight years old and did a lot of baking at home with my mum and my gran.

"I also watched cooking on TV and when I was young James Martin was my hero."

Jonathan left school at 17 and moved to London to work as a chef before moving back to work at award winning Cail Bruich restaurant in Glasgow's West end.

Following his spell working at The Andrew Fairlie restaurant at Gleneagles Jonathan now works as chef de partie at the Raby Hunt Restaurant in Darlington - north east England’s first and only two Michelin Star restaurant.

Jonathan is one of only 18 chefs to make it through to the semi final of The Roux Scholarship to find Britain's best young chef.

To secure a place in the semi final, he was tasked with submitting a recipe using hake, clams and leeks.

He said: "I cooked a dish, took a photograph of it and sent that in with the recipe.

"That was blind judged and 18 of us have made it through to the semi final."

To make it through to the final competition, Jonathan now faces a cook off with the other entrants.

He said: "We'll cook the dish that we put forward and on the day they will also give us a mystery dessert to make."

Jonathan says his family are all rooting for him, especially his mum Grace Conroy and big brother David.

He will compete at the regional final in Birmingham on March 19.