Top Swedish chef Douglas Spiik has been sharing the secrets of his success during a two-day masterclass at UCB.

Having represented his country five times at the prestigious Culinary Olympics, he was ideally placed to share his knowledge with chefs who will be taking part in the competition in October.

Chefs from England, Wales and Scotland gathered in UCB’s state-of-the-art kitchens to enjoy a mix of practical and theoretical workshops.

Douglas, who is Sweden’s answer to Heston Blumenthal, is passionate about molecular gastronomy and specialises in investigating the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking.

This was his first visit to Birmingham and he was impressed with what he saw at UCB. He said: “When I arrived I thought the facilities were amazing; the kitchens are very well planned and modern.”

Douglas, who has spent the past ten years training regional and national teams across Europe ahead of major competitions, said he prided himself on being approachable. He added: “I’m here to share my successes and my mistakes, so others don’t have to make the same mistakes themselves.”

UCB Chef Lecturer and Culinary Team Manager Mat Shropshall said: “It’s been a pleasure to support Douglas at UCB during the past two days. His experience and knowledge is greatly valued and we are planning for him to return to UCB to showcase his talents to our chefs, bakers and degree students.”