A chef who has felt the heat of the television kitchen, and survived to tell the tale, has been appointed head chef at Formartine’s, a new visitor centre opening near Tarves this month.

Matt Dobson, who has more than 15 years of cooking experience under his chef’s whites, took part in the 2009 series of MasterChef: The Professionals, coming fourth in the tough challenge which is watched by millions of viewers.

Originally from Doncaster, Matt fell in love with Scotland and its food when, as a young teenager, he moved north to visit his brother who was studying at St Andrews.

He’s always known being a chef was the only career for him and after attending catering college he moved to Scotland.

Over the years he’s worked at many luxury properties including the Roxburghe Hotel and Spa and the five star Rufflets Hotel, St Andrews, and picked up prestigious awards along the way.

He’s also performed cookery demonstrations at events such as The Royal Highland Show and the Dundee Food and Flower Festival.

Formartine’s, on the edge of the Haddo Estate, will feature a restaurant as well as a fine food hall of local artisan products and outdoor activities, including woodland walks.

It is a joint partnership between John Cooper, who owns The Smokehouse at Methlick, and Lord and Lady Aberdeen, proprietors of Haddo Estate.

At Formartine’s, Matt will be responsible for creating a menu for the centre’s eatery, which will focus on local produce and smoked ingredients created by The Smokehouse.

“It is a great opportunity to be involved in such an exciting new project for Aberdeenshire and to be responsible for creating a fantastic culinary experience for visitors to the restaurant,” said Matt.

“Working with the best local produce is a dream for any chef. All food has a story to tell and the menu we are perfecting is set to reflect that.”

Mr Cooper said: “We are thrilled to have Matt on board and know he will create a fantastic menu for our eatery.

“His MasterChef experience is just one of many credentials he will bring to Formartine’s and his passion for food will ensure our customers will benefit from some wonderful creations from our kitchen.”