A FORMER cookery school student who was a Great British Menu regional finalist returned to his roots to take a demonstration on canapes.
Ryan Stafford was taught by WhitePepper’s founder Luke Stuart 16 years ago and has since gone from strength to strength in his career.
Highlights include being private chef to world champion boxer Anthony Joshua, while also working with chefs like Gordon Ramsay, and cooking for four of the five most recent US presidents.
He has also appeared on our television screens on MasterChef: The Professionals and this year's Great British Menu.
Leading the class at the cookery school near Lytchett Minster, Ryan took students through making canapes to wow guests and friends alike.
He said: “I think for me, one of the most important things of coming today is to inspire.
“I’m very lucky in the industry that I’ve worked in to have so many experiences, stories, and just great opportunities.
“To come and share that today to come to the core of where I started, in a cooking school and to White Pepper, for me is a very special moment.”
Luke said Ryan is among the most successful chefs that he has taught, but said one of the most wonderful things about him is he is ‘so humble’.
“He phoned me up the other day and said: ‘I’ve got to a point in my career where I just want to be a bit more grounded and get in touch with my roots’,” Luke said.
“He’s a cookery school graduate, and so he has come down to try and inspire these guys to say that if you can muster the confidence, if you do push yourself.
“He was talking about not eating lobster as a child but eating chips and curry sauce, with no particular backing other that determination.
“It’s an inspirational story and it’s so nice to see him.”
Ryan said Luke was a teacher that he looked forward to learning from, making everything fun.
He added: “My message to anyone that enjoys cooking, loves serving, likes a hobby in creation in any form to do with cooking, go out, enjoy, create and spend time with people, because that’s what food does, it brings people together and that’s the most special thing for me.”
For more information, visit the WhitePepper Chef Academy website.
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