A Yorkshire bodybuilder hopes to swap his weights for woks this weekend after he won a place in the final of a national cookery contest.
The Yorkshire Evening Press reported that 27-year-old Matt Gomersall, who works as a sous-chef at Donisthorpe Hall care home in Shadwell, West Yorks, came out on top against 11 other contestants to win his place at the final leg of the National Association of Care Catering competition.
The final contest will see him strive to outcook six other chefs from the regions of the UK. He plans a smoked haddock ravioli with a spinach puree and poached egg followed by a lemon panacotta with strawberry soup to wow the judges.
Matt is more used to competitively pumping iron than pureeing veg, however. The last time he was up in front of judges and an excited audience was at Leeds Town Hall for a national bodybuilding competition.
The 2008 United Kingdom Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (UKBFF) contest was an enjoyable experience for him and he hopes to enter next year’s contest in the intermediate under 90 kilo section.
But for the time being, he has forsaken the opportunity to enter this year’s bodybuilding contest in Batley because its date clashed with the cooking finals.
He told the paper that his job at the care home had taught him just as much about the need for good nutrition as his bodybuilding hobby has taught him about muscle building.
“It’s helped because nutrition is so important, especially for the older people, some have dementia, and it’s important for their energy,” he told the paper.
“I love food and creating new dishes. Creating a meal on a limited budget is a terrific challenge. With only 90 minutes preparation including cooking-time, the heat is really on,” Matt explained about the competition, in which he stands to win a trophy, cooking equipment worth £1,000 and £500 prize money.
Matt became interested in cooking after working at his mum’s London pub – and got interested in bodybuilding at his local gym at the same time.