North West Young Chefs treated to exclusive Manchester House Masterclass

The six North West Young Chef (NWYC) finalists in Essential Cuisine's search for the stars of tomorrow have experienced a special masterclass with reputed chef Aiden Byrne at his restaurant, Manchester House.

The chefs and their mentors were each treated to a tour of the bar, restaurant and open-plan kitchen, followed by a demo at the chefs table with Byrne himself.

While visiting the restaurant, the finalists were also honoured to meet the renowned chef Pierre Koffmann, one of only a handful of chefs that has held three Michelin stars. Koffmann offered invaluable experience, and gave the young chefs the benefit of a life building his craft at the pass.

Byrne offered some words of advice to the finalists, and said: "Entering competitions is a test of character, and I didn't do it until Great British Menu

"If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to carry on learning until you retire; the more you learn the better you get as a chef, and the more potential you have to make it big. And don't focus on what other people around you are doing, keep your head down and believe in yourself."

The six finalists hoping to take the crown are Sam Nash from Cumbria; Danny Young from Lancashire; Cara Maguire from Flintshire; Ben Costello from Cheshire; Dan Heffy from Merseyside and Steven Halligan from Greater Manchester.

The final takes place this Wednesday at Manchester College, Didsbury, before the winner takes their place in the semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year Competition.