This year the judging panel, chaired by master chef Brian Mellor and Essential Cuisine managing director Nigel Crane, will be joined by one chef in each heat.

These include: Claire Lara, the first woman to win Masterchef the Professionals; Matt Nugent, executive chef at Liverpool’s Echo Arena and Conference Centre; Mark Fletcher, head chef at The Badger Inn at Church Minshull in Cheshire; Mike Bullard, head chef at West Bromwich Albion FC; Paul Prescott, executive chef with Nelson Hotels Group; and Steve Williams, executive chef at Stanley House Hotel and Spa in Mellor, Lancashire.

The heat finalists will then be invited to an exclusive masterclass with Aiden Byrne, said to be the youngest ever chef to win a Michelin star.

The competition incorporates Flintshire County for 2014, along with existing counties Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Cumbria, and Merseyside.

To enter the competition, visit www.essentialcuisine.com or call Lucy on 01606 541490.