A Great Yarmouth chef will face an Olympic-style challenge in the kitchen today as he represents Great Britain in an international culinary contest held by the oldest gastronomic society in the world.

Daniel Marshall, 21, chef de partie at the Imperial Hotel, is in Berlin to take on 20 other contestants in the International Young Chef of the Year competition, held by gastronomic society Cha�ne des R�tisseurs.

In June, he won Britain's best young chef in the society's contest at The Dorchester Hotel in London, along with Arnaud Bardary of Gordon Ramsay's Maze restaurant, who won best young sommelier.

Mr Marshall, a former Yarmouth College student, faces chefs from Australia, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, USA and Russia, and will create a three-course menu for four from a mystery box of ingredients in three-and-a-half hours.

Before heading to Germany, Mr Marshall said: 'I am fairly confident about the taste and presentation of my food, I mainly worry about getting the menu right. We have only half an hour to plan and you know the meal must be perfect and on time.'

Today is the 36th international final of the competition held by the prestigious society – founded in 1248.

The chef will visit restaurants in Berlin and spend a month working alongside two Michelin Star chef Nils Henkel afterwards.

Imperial Hotel director Nicholas Mobbs said: 'Daniel has tremendous ability and enthusiasm and deserves to do well. It would be like another gold medal for GB and Norfolk.'

Success in the UK has already won him two days with Anton Mosimann in London and six days with Red Carnation boutique hotel group.

But he says he loves returning to the hotel, near his home in St Peter's Road.