Godfrey’s recipe earned him the top Gold Award in the annual event, recently held at Brockenhurst College, Hampshire, in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs.

John Moore of Tilda said: “Congratulations to Connor and all the other chefs who took part in Wessex Salon Culinaire which once again proved a great showcase for emerging, young talent.

“The variety and nature of the risotto recipes served up by competitors, illustrates its unrivalled versatility and ease-of-use which a growing number of chefs are now appreciating and making use of on their menus. Wessex Salon Culinaire gives chefs the chance to show their culinary expertise and is a great platform for them to get their first taste of competitive cooking.”

The Tilda Risotto Challenge tasked participating chefs with creating a risotto dish using Tilda’s highly-prized Arborio rice in a limited time.

The well deserved winner added: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won the Tilda Risotto Challenge – it’s great for me as a young chef to be establishing my name in big culinary competitions such as this.

“The Tilda Risotto Challenge started really early in the morning so I didn't get much sleep the night before! As soon as the judge said we could start, I felt pumped and ready to show people what I could do. The competition only lasted 25 minutes – so I had to move quickly to get everything to the standard I wanted.

“I was constantly tasting my dish throughout the competition – even up until the two minute mark when we had to plate up – to check the risotto was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I was very happy with what I had produced but everyone likes risotto cooked differently so I was especially pleased that all the judges enjoyed it.”

Connor started as a Junior Apprentice at the University of West London before undertaking a full apprenticeship at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. He moved to London’s Wiltons Restaurant for two years before becoming demi-chef de partie at The Ritz London.