Dorset Chef In BBC Contest Semi-Finals

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Dorset Chef in Masterchef Semi-Finals

Would-be chef Mat Follas will give a flavour of Dorset when he competes to become the country's top amateur cook tonight in a bid to become the BBC's Materchef.

Mat, 42,  from Rampisham near Beaminster whose background is in engineering will compete in the semi-finals tonight on BBC2 at 8.30pm.  The heat will certainly be on for the father of three who has made it through to the final stages despite never having worked in catering.

Mat said "The main reason I entered the competition was to give the children a chance to see their dad on television for a couple of days - I didn't think I had a hope in hell of getting this far."

Mat is originally from New Zealand which he left in 1980 to travel and work in countries such as Thailand and Italy. Despite living all over the world Mat prefers using  Dorset produce in his dishes since moving to the county five years ago.

Mat said "I think sampling different cultures has given me an advantage because I've tried lots of different food combinations - I think the judges on the show are looking for food that does'nt come from a recipe book and is completely different -  I'm very keen on forgaging for wild food locally with my family and smoking some of it. I used a smoker to do smoked scallops with wild garlic in the quarter finals and it went down very well."

The competition is now spicing up and the pressure is on Mat to come up with even more tastier and original food. Mat who takes charge of the cooking at home for children Jasper, 10, Jack, 6, and Meadow, 3 said " It is a bit scary. You can feel someone running up to you with a camera if you drop something - I've noticed my hands shaking at times when I've been cooking."

Guide2Dorset wishes Mat every success in tonight's semi-final and we look forward to seeing him in the final.