A MICHELIN starred chef will be running a college kitchen next week to mark the launch of a new course.

Thirty-five guests at Bishop Auckland College will be treated to a five-course taster menu showing food from The Raby Hunt, at Summerhouse, near Darlington.

Chef James Close, who works at the North-East’s only Michelin star venue, has joined forces with the college, to help deliver its new level five HND Hospitality Management course starting in September.

To celebrate the new partnership, he is working with catering students at his restaurant this weekend to prepare Monday (June 3) night’s special menu.

Mr Close and his team, assisted by 12 catering and hospitality students, will cook and serve the food at the college restaurant for their VIP guests, who will include headteachers, chefs, business leaders and journalists.

The self-taught 32-year-old agreed to pass on his skills and experience to catering and hospitality students at the college, where his commis chef Lewis Thompson trained, after being approached by head of catering and hospitality Graeme Trevor.

He agreed to run the Michelin Masterclass and also advise on a makeover for the former Mitre restaurant, which is being relaunched on Monday evening as a bijou bistro called Ambition.

Natalie Davison, principal of Bishop Auckland College, said: “Working with the only Michelin star chef in the North-East is the catering class equivalent to our sports students training with elite athletes, so you can imagine how thrilled they are.

“James is a superb role model to our students, showing them what hard work and determination can achieve, having risen himself from a trainee washing up and peeling vegetables in a Darlington hotel to running a Michelin star restaurant.”