Get set for a former north Herts pupil appearing on MasterChef: The Professionals tonight at 9pm.

Foodies from our area will savour watching talented chef Philli Armitage-Mattin, when she appears in the top-rated BBC show this evening.

Philli, will feature along with 32 other chefs and professionals on the popular show, where they will fight for the right to lift the coveted title.

The 28-year-old who grew up in Welwyn Garden City but also studied at St. Francis' College in Letchworth, could become a household name if she progresses during the six week run of the 13th season of the renowned BBC programme.

Philli, who takes her culinary inspiration from her travels around Asia, said: "It's probably the scariest thing I've ever done, being in the MasterChef kitchen, feeling the pressure, being in front of the judges.

"But it has also been one of the best experiences of my life.

"I am driven by creating new dishes and learning daily. I enjoy learning about the theory of cooking and the scientific understanding behind it."

At the tender age of 22, Philli joined Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, promptly falling in love with Asian cuisine.

However, the long hours and a lack of patience in undertaking repetitive tasks when preparing dishes in the kitchen meant, she departed after two years to pursue her dream of becoming a development chef - and started producing ready meals for retailers.

"I trained within the group but I just couldn't contain my creativity," she said, adding: "But the kitchen hours are long, and I din't have the patience to repeat the same task over and over.

"It was so much fun, but something was always pulling at my heart strings to learn more about Asian cuisine.

"I wanted to immerse myself in the culture, visit the restaurants, learn about the way of living, study the food, ingredients and meet the chefs and producers."

In 2018, she picked up a backpack and bought a one-way ticket to Japan to experience a new culture, including the food.

"I spent a year researching different types of Asian cuisine in the Far East," she said, adding: "I worked in the best restaurants in Tokyo and I ate some of the most interesting dishes, such as Biang Biang Noodles in Northern China.

"It was so exciting. It revived my passion in cooking, and I wanted to share my knowledge."