Ali had long-harboured a passion for working in kitchens, having done so since he was 14 as kitchen porter and assistant, but he’d never really considered it as a career. When he saw University College Birmingham chef Adam Pickett present a talk about the Chelmsley Starters culinary school, it seemed like fate.

“I was spending my time cutting veggies and washing dishes and so on, but didn’t think about actually becoming a chef,” Ali said.

“I signed up for the course there and then, after the presentation, and the University were great at keeping in touch over the summer. On the first day, I got to the school and immediately knew that becoming a chef was the goal for me.”

Through the course, students have the opportunity to explore a whole host of cuisines from around the world and garner an understanding of the entire food cycle, from farm to fork. Ali is using the chance to learn as much as he can before choosing a career speciality, and is taking advantage of the real-world experience on hand through the expert lecturers.

“Every chef at the school has seen everything; worked in different countries and across different cuisines. It really helps and makes you more eager to learn when you know how much knowledge they’re carrying around with them and willing to show you,” he said.

“I’ve decided my next aim is to hone my skills abroad and Copenhagen is my top destination. I’m eager to get more experience in fine dining and it’s definitely the place to be for that.”