Local hospitality and catering recruiter Recruitment Now has placed Master Chef runner-up Leon Dodd at renowned restaurant Blackmore’s of Alnwick.

Dodd (pictured far left), from Sunderland, hit the newspapers during September when he came runner up in the BBC’s Professional Master Chef competition. Throughout the series he has had to impress top chef Michel Roux junior and co-host Gregg Wallace.

Recruitment consultant Martin Hutton (centre), said: “Being an ex-chef and now passionate cook, I followed the Master Chef competition closely and when I realised that Leon was looking for employment I made it a personal goal to be the person who found him his next job.”

Hutton said the match was achieved through a consultation period including time in the kitchen with John Blackmore (right), Blackmore’s owner, who has a reputation of bringing in the young and moulding them into great chefs. Blackmore had advertised locally, nationally and in trade publications without attracting a chef who he could trust and respect to take the helm of his kitchens without success.