A PADSTOW chef, who triumphed on a national cookery series, will serve his winning menu at two charitable banquets in the autumn.
Viewers of the hit show Great British Menu will have witnessed Paul Ainsworth's dessert Taste of the Fairground emerge victorious, chosen over creations from some of the best chefs in the country and served to 100 special guests at a banquet in London.
Paul now plans to recreate his winning dish and the three other courses devised for the BBC Two series during two special evenings on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20 at his eponymous restaurant Paul Ainsworth at Number 6.
He said: "Taking part in the series has been a huge highlight in my career to date.
"From being asked to take part, and then representing the South West against some really talented chefs, to meeting some really inspiring members of the community along the way, the whole experience has been amazing. To win is just the icing on the cake."
During the show, Paul took inspiration from two community organisations based in Cornwall which he will continue to support now the cameras have stopped rolling.
As well as inviting members of the Newlyn Fishermen's Mission and RNLI in Padstow to a unique banquet in London's Leadenhall Market as his guests of honour, Paul is donating 20 per cent of all ticket sales to the charitable organisations.
Paul says: "I was extremely touched by the work that both organisations do within the community and honoured to have them at the final banquet.
"These are people who do something good every day of their lives and never ask for anything in return so it was great to make them centre of attention for once."
Keith Dickson is the superintendent at The Fishermen's Mission in Newlyn. Keith attended the banquet with canteen manager Ali Rowe, her husband and local fisherman Kenny Downing. During the banquet Keith enjoyed dishes cooked by the other winning chefs, Chris Fearon, Aktar Islam and Tom Kerridge. He says: "It was a once in a lifetime experience. Only 100 people in the whole of Britain got to go and I was one of them.
"It was a fantastic day with some of the best food I have ever tasted and one that will live long in the memory."
Keith also presented Paul with a memento of a wooden boat on behalf of the mission: "Paul's a really nice guy so it was great to surprise him with the presentation and the look on his face was priceless."
Of his favourite course, Keith said: "I'm completely biased but my favourite was Paul's. It was really beautiful."
At the banquet in October, guests will experience the menu that judges, Prue Leith, Matthew Fort, and Oliver Peyton chose to represent the South West.
For £80 guests will enjoy a starter of Cornish duckling, a fish course called Fisherman's Lunch, Great British Pork head to toe and the winning dessert, Taste of the Fairground. Keith says that any money raised will make a big difference to the Fishermen's Mission: "We support fishermen or the families of fishermen who have lost a loved one at sea. We don't receive any government support and rely on volunteers and fundraising. Any money donated goes straight to supporting the fisherman in the community and makes a real difference." Reflecting on the past eight months, Paul says: "I've had so many messages wishing me good luck or congratulating me, and so much support throughout the show. I haven't been able to say thank you to all of them, and having my dish chosen still hasn't sunk in yet."
For those who cannot wait until October to sample Taste of the Fairground, Paul has already added the dish to his à la carte menu, priced at £25.
There are only 60 tickets available for each evening priced at £80 each. To book call Number 6 on 01841 532093.