Leeds restaurants: Meet the head chef at Banyan Leeds who climbed from kitchen help to culinary star

Armed with a heap of ambition and the bug for cooking, he joined Leeds bar and restaurant group ARC Inspirations as a kitchen help.

Now the head chef at Banyan Leeds, with a wealth of experience at the helm of the kitchen, Patryk fondly recalls how his culinary journey started.

Born in a small town near Warsaw, Poland, Patryk's first memories of food are baking cakes and preparing salads with his mum and sister.

The 37-year-old told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I remember when we prepped our first meal for our mum while she was at work, we found a recipe in one of her old books. It was good fun and I think we made more mess than actually cooking!

“But my mum really enjoyed it and that stays in my heart - giving her so much joy and happiness from something we did for her.”

Frustrated by the unhealthy packaged food available at his local supermarkets and cafes, Patryk started buying fresh produce and experimenting with flavours after he moved out on his own.