THE MAN behind one of York’s most acclaimed restaurants is bringing his style of top quality cuisine to TV screens this week.

City chef Josh Overington is appearing in the hit BBC programme the Great British Menu this week, taking part in the North East heat of the cooking competition.

Josh, 29, runs Le Cochon Aveugle on Walmgate with his partner Victoria Roberts, and he said this year was the first time he’d been able to leave the restaurant in the care of the staff to take part in the TV programme.

He said: “I’ve actually been asked for three years running, but the restaurant was never big enough to leave it.”

He is appearing on BBC Two all week, competing against Danny Parker from House of Tides in Newcastle, and Tommy Banks who runs the Black Swan at Oldstead on the North York Moors.

The week started with starters on Monday, when Josh created a dish close to one that features regularly on the York restaurant’s menu - including a savoury strawberry veloute.

Last night, the chefs moved on to the fish course and Josh cooked up a fish stew using champagne, lobster, scallops and truffles.

Later in the week, the three chefs will turn to main courses when Josh looks to memories of his grandfather and summer family barbecues for inspiration; while on Thursday he is set to turn to foraged herbs to flavour his panna cotta dessert.

Once those four gruelling days are over the three chefs will face the judges to find out who will go through to the final day, to compete for the chance to cook at a prestigious Taste of Summer banquet celebrating 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships.

The competition was incredibly hard work, he said, but has already given the small Walmgate restaurant a major boost. “You have an expectation about how stressful it’s going to be, but when you’re there it’s a lot harder and a lot more stressful.”

Working on television is a “completely different world” he added.

“When I look back it was enjoyable, but at the time it was very hard work.”

However, the restaurant has already seen a big boost.

“Last night the website crashed. That means 25,000 people were looking at it at the same time,” Josh said.

“It’s made a very busy little restaurant even busier.”

- The Great British Menu is on BBC 2 at 7pm.

The North East leg of the show, in which Josh stars, will be broadcast every evening until Friday.