A FATHER who won a young chef’s award says it was “all or nothing.”

Aaron McLaughlin, of Southern Drive in Loughton, was crowned National Young Chef 2017 in the Wing Yip oriental cooking competition after beating 15 other finalists in Birmingham on Wednesday, April 5.

The 25-year-old, who is a senior chef at the Lincoln’s Inn, won a ten day trip to Hong Kong for his octopus and rice dish - Cheung Fun - seasoned with a glaze and salted peanuts.

Aaron, who has two children, took up cooking after being inspired by his teachers.

He said: “The atmosphere was really, really tense. I just couldn’t even think. The room was spinning. I knew there was some good competition there, but it was all or nothing.

“I went there with the intention of winning. My sous chef did the competition two years ago. They all pushed me to it. It was also due to my love for food. I have a passion for it. You can express yourself in cooking.

“My school teacher, she had faith in me. I was soon introduced to that type of cooking. It really intrigued me.”

He was given one hour and 45 minutes to produce his dish, which he had to serve to a former Masterchef finalist, Larkin Cen.

He finished third in last year’s competition but when he discovered he would soon be too old to enter again, his colleagues encouraged him to go for second-time-lucky.

His win was down to the faith his colleagues and family had in him, he said.

Aaron, a former pupil at Roding Valley High School, says he was only interested in himself until he discovered his true passion of cooking.

Aaron’s girlfriend and two children, who are aged two and three months, have always supported him – but he admits it has been testing at times. .

He added: “I have been pretty much non stop. I was pretty stressed out, but they have just been amazing. I’m very family orientated. It keeps you humble.

“It has taken over my life in a good way. I try to give myself a good balance though.”

Aaron takes his mind off cooking by attending bootcamp classes twice a week and boxing with his father in Buckhurst Hill.

He will now focus on taking a short break before getting back to work, and dreams of one day opening his own restaurant.

But for now, he hopes to become a restaurant’s head chef and plans to fly out to Hong Kong for inspiration.

Aaron added: “Everyone has times when they are tired, they’re this, they’re that, but I look at my kids and see this is why I do it. Obviously I love my job, but I’m just trying to do well in my life so my kids can have a good future.”