Bryce Lundie began his career peeling vegetables in a Glasgow restaurant, but is now swapping recipes with a two-star Michelin chef.

The 27-year-old has made it through to the semi-finals of BBC2's MasterChef: The Professionals and has been impressing judges with his culinary skills.

Bryce, from Irvine, Ayrshire, entered the show with a colleague for a laugh, but what started out as kitchen banter has become a life-changing experience.

He began as a kitchen assistant at Ferrier Richardson's former restaurant Yes, before moving on to the Buttery, both in Glasgow, and then the Turnberry Hotel, on the Ayrshire coast.

He has always had a keen interest in the culinary world and had to endure a bit a stick at Greenwood Academy when he was the only boy in his year at school to do Home Economics.

But that decision seems to be paying off now.

Viewers recently saw Bryce receive glowing praise after making his own yoghurt and honey ice-cream, which co-presenter and chef Michel Roux jnr has now snapped up.

After making a dish of loin of venison for a sumptuous quarter-finals menu served up to three of the UK's most toughest food critics, Bryce's dessert of sultana flapjack with home-made ice-cream went down a treat.

He said: "Michel tasted it and asked me what was in it. He couldn't believe there was so few ingredients and said, I want that recipe.' "I couldn't believe that a man who is a legend and one of my idols was asking for a recipe."

Having the chance to pick up advice from Michel is a dream come true.

Bryce, now based at the Fisherman's Lodge, Newcastle, added: "I was in awe of him, but then you realise he is just a normal guy and is very encouraging off the camera."

Despite entering the competition for a laugh, he got a call to go for a casting for the show and was accepted.

He added: "There were four of us in the first round, which was the skills section and only three went through to the next section.

"We then had an invention test, followed by the classics, and we had to serve up French Onion Soup and a chocolate roulade for Michel and fellow presenter Gregg Wallace.

"Just one was chosen to go through to the quarter-finals and it was me."

He has now made it the semi-finals and viewers will can see him on their screens next Monday.