PORTHLEVEN restaurant Amélies has unveiled its new chef following his win on the BBC TV show Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial.

Head chef, Paul James will be in charge of the kitchen and, alongside owner Sam Sheffield-Dunstan, he’ll create the menus for the restaurant, located on the harbourside.

The duo will also devise and oversee the restaurant’s private-hire wedding menus as well as the menus for sister company Gourmet Picnics, including the picnics they’ll be supplying to this year’s Henley Royal Regatta.

Paul said: “Filming the show there were some long, hard days but it was great fun and our group of chefs in particular had a lot of banter.

“I entered the competition because I wanted to come back to Cornwall and I was inspired by the opportunity to work in such a beautiful place as Porthleven, with the opportunity to cook local seafood in simple, tasty dishes. There’s such a wonderful sense of community in the village and it’s fantastic to work at Amélies where there’s a great team spirit.

“I’m very much enjoying being part of the Amélies family and looking forward to the opportunity to help move the restaurant onwards and upwards for a long time to come. I can’t wait to be around for the opening of the next Amélies restaurant!”

Paul began his cooking career at the Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth before travelling the world, cooking in restaurants from Portugal to New Zealand and on private yachts sailing out of Miami, Bermuda and the Bahamas. On returning to Bournemouth, Paul earned three AA Rosettes at The Connaught and worked as Head Chef at the luxury, 5-star Highcliff Marriott Hotel.

Paul’s travels have instilled in him a variety of cooking skills and he loves creating low-fuss, great tasting sea to plate dishes that let the food do the talking. And that’s precisely what he’ll be doing at Amélies.

Sam said: “It’s been challenging to find the right person to work as our Head Chef but the show with Alex has definitely enabled us to do that. Paul is a very clever and talented man who has fitted right into the Amélies family We’re delighted to have him and more excited than ever about the future.”

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For more information, interviews and high resolution images, please contact Sam Sheffield-Dunstan on 01326 554000/ 07894 703057 or email press@ameliesporthleven.com