A food lover from Fakenham is currently starring in the biggest cookery show on TV.

Mechanical engineer Matthew Frost will feature again on Tuesday on the popular BBC show MasterChef, as the final 12 battle it out to get to the next round.

The thirty year-old, who lives at Vine Court, was put through by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace after facing a daunting day at London's Imli restaurant, cooking fine dining standard Indian cuisine.

'It was great, different - and very, very difficult,' said Mr Frost.

'You're cooking in a kitchen with all equipment you've never used before, that's why they call it MasterChef.

'You're under the lights and cameras and you have to plan to do something in 45 minutes, or it can spiral out of control, it is very difficult but thoroughly enjoyable.

'To be honest I've been cooking for years, and always loved good food, my sister (Stacey Frost) said I might as well give it a go.

'I don't like it watching the episode too much, I've made a few people giggle, I'm not the most photogenic person! I watch and have a giggle and laugh at myself, it is a it cringy at times.'

In his spare time Mr Frost likes to visit the best restaurants in Norfolk, such as Morston Hall at Morston, near Wells, or shopping for ingredients to cook his family and girlfriend, Theresa Wharon.

There are not many restaurants in Norfolk he has not been to, as one of his hobbies is going to a different one each week and he champions the ingredients on offer, such as Rutlands Butchers in Melton Constable.

His grandfather, Peter Frost, has been game keeper for the van Cutsem family - godparents of Princes William and Harry - at Hilborough Estate near Swaffham, for ten years and before that worked at Heygate Farm in Swaffham.

Mr Frost added: 'I used to potter about with Grandad, do a bit of shooting and mucking about.

'We are very lucky really, Norfolk butchers are brilliant, really the meat is the best and the quality of the veg is very high.

'I just like good British food really, but I'll try anything at the moment.'

He can't divulge just how far he did get in the competition, but the question still remains, will he leave his engineering job with Sharp Systems in Kings Lynn, making machinery for food factories, to pursue a chef's life?

'It is a great company, boss is brilliant, but I've learnt it all, and it's a bit boring now, I want to learn something else.

'To be honest I'm in limbo, I would love to get into food but my wages are quite high as an engineer, to go into food at the bottom would be half my wage.

'I've got hobbies - skydiving, scuba diving, travelling - you cant afford those on a trainee chef wage. I would be either a cook or a helipilot, but it costs �80,000 to do that.

'I would go into a restaurant if it cooked what I like, if it was a good one, but I don't want to be a microwave operator, it took me 14 years to get into engineering!'

*MasterChef will be on Tuesday BBC One, 9pm.