Both of the chefs are in the running for an award

Throughout the county there are chefs serving up the finest dishes, delivering memorable dining experiences and drawing in regular customers to the restaurants they work in. Everyone has their go-to restaurants and dishes, but the National Chef of the Year awards is setting out to crown the best.

Ten chefs remain in the running for one of the most prestigious titles in UK hospitality. This year, there are two Cambridge chefs shortlisted for the award.

Byron Franklin, executive chef at Ancient Shepherds by Mark Poynton and Vladimir Hromek, development chef at Cambridge Dining Co. have earned a place in the final of National Chef of the Year. Following a highly competitive semi-final stage, both Byron and Vladimir have successfully secured a place in the grand final, where the country’s leading culinary talent will compete for the opportunity to join an elite group of past winners and have their name written into the history of the competition.

The award is organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs and judged by some of the industry’s most respected chefs. This year’s finalists were selected following a rigorous judging process that tested creativity, technical skill, flavour, presentation and the ability to perform under pressure.

David Mulcahy, competition director of National Chef of the Year, said: “Reaching the National Chef of the Year final is an outstanding achievement. Every chef who has made it this far has demonstrated exceptional skill, commitment and professionalism throughout the competition.

“Year after year, the standard continues to impress the judges, and we look forward to seeing how both of these talented chefs rise to the challenge on the day.”

Ancient Shepherds, on Fen Ditton High Street, offers three carefully crafted tasting menus of three, five or seven courses. With an average of 4.5 stars out of five on Google among more than 400 reviews, it is clear that it is a highly raved place.

Cambridge Dining Co., which offers a catering service, takes “exceptional, restaurant-quality dishes and brings them to the event table”. It has an almost perfect Google review rating of 4.9 stars out of five among 90 reviews. One customer said they were “blown away by how delicious the food tasted”.

One diner, who tried the summer themed five course tasting menu said they found the food to be “highly inventive, flawlessly executed and beautifully presented”.

Chair of judges and chef patron of Moor Hall, Mark Birchall added: “I’ve been incredibly impressed by the commitment and effort that’s gone into the competition so far. I know how much pressure chefs put themselves under, but also how much they grow and learn from the experience. My advice to Byron and Vladimir is to keep it simple and focus on creating delicious, brilliantly executed dishes rather than trying to overcomplicate things.”

The final of National Chef of the Year will take place at Le Cordon Bleu London on Tuesday, October 6, where the ten finalists will cook against the clock in front of a panel of judges. The winner will be announced later that evening at a distinguished awards ceremony.

Other offenders receiving either immediate or suspended prison sentences included a man who gave police someone else’s name during a police stop, a street-level cannabis dealer and a domestic violence perpetrator.

Another offender jailed was a man who made an insulting remark at a judge from the dock at the court and then refused when given the chance to apologise.

Five defendants who have been jailed or received suspended sentences in past week at Durham Crown Court. (Image: Durham Constabulary/Contributor)

A man involved in a targeted shooting and petrol-bomb attack on a County Durham house has been jailed for 15 years.

Iain Boddy was part of a group that fired a suspected pump-action shotgun and hurled three petrol bombs at the Burnhope property on Friday, December 5 last year.

Iain Boddy (Image: Durham Constabulary)

People were inside the Front Street house, but no-one was injured, the court heard.

But no-one from the property agreed to help prosecutors.

Boddy, 44, of Moule Crescent, Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland, denied possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and arson with intent to endanger life at his trial this week.

He was found guilty of both charges on the fourth day of his trial and was sentenced later in the day by Judge Richard Clews.

Boddy was cleared of trying to set fire to a property in Broom Hill, Stanley, with intent to endanger life, on Christmas Day last year.

He must serve up to two-thirds of his 15-year sentence in prison before being released on licence.

READ MORE: Burnhope arson and shooting said to be part of intimidation campaign

A controlling man kicked his terrified “ex” in the face after grabbing her by the neck, shoving her against a wall and biting her breast.

Ian Hind was said to have treated his partner “appallingly” towards the end of their four-and-a-half year relationship, culminating in him squeezing her neck until she was almost breathless after a row over her going out without him, in January this year.

Ian Hind (Image: Public contribution)

She managed to flee his home and reached her car, where she called police, only later realising that clumps of her hair had been pulled out.

The court heard she suffered cuts, bruises and swelling to her head, neck, face, body and legs, including black eyes and a broken finger.

She has needed ongoing treatment for injuries to her nostrils and scar tissue.

He was arrested and released on police bail on condition he did not contact her, but ignored it by messaging her and sending derogatory messages about her son.

Hind, Northbridge Park, St Helen Auckland, was sentenced at the court after admitting harassment and being convicted of intentional strangulation and assault causing actual bodily harm after a trial before magistrates in June.

He initially planned to challenge his convictions, but withdrew his appeal last month.

Judge Richard Clews told Hind he behaved “appallingly” and caused his former partner “significant physical and psychological injuries”.

But he accepted the Probation Service’s assessment that the 51-year-old civil engineer poses a “low risk” of reoffending and could be rehabilitated in the community.

The judge said Hind’s offences merited prison but after “much deliberation” said he “ticks all the boxes” for a three-year sentence to be suspended for two years under new sentencing laws introduced in March.

Hind must, however, complete 41 rehabilitation and accredited programme sessions overseen by probation, as well as 200 hours’ unpaid work.

He also ordered him to pay his victim £2,000 compensation and £705 in court costs, at the rate of £150 a month.

A restraining order prohibits Hind from contacting or approaching his victim, or visiting two named streets in Newton Aycliffe, for ten years.

READ MORE: Bishop Auckland man’s behaviour to partner became increasingly abusive

A County Durham dealer was caught out when police found 31kg of cannabis in a holdall and two shopping bags.

Corbyn Farn, 32, received a 27-month sentence after admitting two charges relating to the supply of cannabis in Seaham, in December 2022.

Corbyn Farn (Image: Durham Constabulary)

As he was serving a suspended sentence for similar offending at the time, nine months were activated, taking his total prison term to 36 months.

Farn admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply between December 1 and 31, 2022, at a plea hearing at the court on August 5 this year.

He also admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis, on December 31, 2022.

The court heard that when Farn was arrested over an unrelated matter in December 2022 he was found with more than 31kg of cannabis in a holdall and two shopping bags.

Police also recovered scales, snap bags, a mobile phone and cannabis growing equipment.

The cannabis was estimated to be worth between £10,000 and £12,500 on the street.

Smaller amounts of cannabis were also found at a second address linked to Farn.

Messages on his phone suggested he was selling cannabis directly to “customers”.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the mobile phone, cannabis and other equipment seized when Farn was arrested in December 2022.

READ MORE: Seaham dealer caught with 31kg of cannabis in shopping bags

A banned driver gave police another man’s name when he was stopped because he feared a longer driving ban.

Anthony Prior’s attempt to evade detection put suspicion on an innocent man and ultimately landed him in prison.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Prior, 32, of Oak Lea, Witton Gilbert, appeared at the court after admitting perverting the course of justice at a plea hearing in July.

Prosecutor Imogen Eastham-Brown said police stopped Prior on Stockley Lane, near Crook, at about 1.30pm on November 18, 2024.

Prior gave another man’s name, spelling it out and giving his date-of-birth, and told the officer he had no driving licence or other identification on him at the time.

He also claimed his phone had no social media profile which could verify his identity.

The man whose identity Prior used had no licence, and the defendant told police his father insured him to drive.

Miss Eastham-Brown said the man’s father was contacted, but after 20 minutes Prior, still claiming to be the other man, admitted he had no licence and was uninsured.

The man whose name Prior gave later told police he knew nothing about the stop.

A screenshot from body-worn footage identified Prior as the most likely match with the driver stopped in November 2024, and police visited him on November 5 last year.

Miss Eastham-Brown said Prior indicated he would plead guilty early in the case.

She said he has 18 convictions for 22 offences, including driving without a licence in 2009 and while disqualified in June 2024 for which he received a 12-month community order and a three-year driving ban.

The judge said Prior’s benefit was that he was not charged with driving while disqualified.

“I appreciate a lot of water has gone under the bridge since November 2024 but in my judgement the law is that offences of this type are so serious only immediate custody can follow.”

Judge Clews imposed a six-month prison sentence, of which Prior may serve only 40 per cent.

READ MORE: Witton Gilbert banned driver jailed for giving police false name

A defendant’s four-letter insult to a judge earned him two extra months jail for contempt of court.

Kai Taylor appeared before Judge Jo Kidd at Durham Crown Court on July 27 after surrendering himself, following seven months on a bench warrant for failing to attend a January hearing.

Kai Taylor (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Judge Kidd questioned a remark made by one of Taylor’s associates in the public gallery.

She ordered Taylor’s three “followers” to leave, but he then shouted from the dock that he had made the remark and repeated it, saying: “Snobby ****”.

After speaking to his lawyers, Taylor refused to apologise and was charged with contempt of court.

Taylor, 26, appeared via video link from Durham Prison before Judge Francis Laird at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday (September 15), for sentence on the contempt offence and original charges.

Those involved breaching a restraining order by visiting his ex-partner in Seaham on August 1 last year, breaching a 12-month suspended prison sentence and failing to attend court in January.

Taylor, 26, of no fixed abode, but previously from Seaham, admitted all the charges.

His barrister, Tony Davis, said there was little he could say because his client had, “in reality, run out of rope”.

He added that Taylor’s comment to the judge was “no more than bravado on his behalf”.

READ MORE: Seaham man who swore at judge jailed for further two months

Read next … more court stories from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

Judge Laird said the matter probably would have gone no further if Taylor had taken the chance to apologise, on July 27.

The judge imposed consecutive sentences for the breaches, bail offence and for the contempt (two months), bring a total 12-month prison sentence.

He told Taylor his six weeks on remand would count towards his sentence.

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 09:26 BST, 21 September 2026 | Updated: 13:09 BST, 21 September 2026

Irwin D Simon, chairman and chief executive of Tilray Brands said: “BrewDog is one of the biggest and most recognised beer brands in the UK and across Europe, and we see tremendous opportunity to re-energise it, strengthen its connection with consumers and build it into an even bigger global business.

However, Endrick has not given up on his Real Madrid future, while the club remain reluctant to lose a player they consider a major talent. Arsenal are not the only Premier League side interested, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Fulham also having explored his situation.

Former Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman enjoyed a work-free weekend with a spot of shopping in London’s Notting Hill – as the show’s re-vamped line-up failed to deliver in the ratings.

Amid the BBC hit’s big relaunch, Claudia, 54, perused shops in the west London neighborhood with her half-brother Oliver Lloyd. 

She looked relaxed and carefree for the low-key outing, which comes after the new Strictly line-up with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe failed to deliver the ratings boost BBC bosses had hoped for.

Fans questioned the ‘awkward’ three-presenter format, while comedian Josh, 43, was branded ‘out of his depth’ on the show. 

On Saturday, the pre-recorded launch show peaked at 5.8 million viewers, according to overnight figures, up slightly on last year’s peak of 5.6 million. 

However, the episode averaged at 5.3 million viewers, down from 5.4 million in 2025. 

While Strictly’s revamped line-up failed to deliver in the ratings, Claudia, 54, looked relaxed and carefree she joined her half-brother Oliver Lloyd for the low-key outing

While the peak figure represents a small rise on last year, it remains well below the figures recorded before the programme was hit by a series of controversies.

This includes allegations about the treatment of celebrity contestants and the culture behind the scenes, leading to the departure of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima and prompting the BBC to introduce tougher welfare measures.

Prior to the string of scandals, the Strictly launch peaked at 6.7 million viewers and averaged 6.3 million in 2023.

Bosses will have hoped that a fresh format and new hosting line-up could tempt lapsed viewers back to the BBC One favourite. However, the overnight figures suggest the changes have yet to produce a significant ratings resurgence.

Pre-recorded last week, the episode opened with a dance number from the professionals, including the five new dancers, as well as the judges and the new hosts.

The 15 nervous celebrities also found out who they will be dancing with for, potentially, 13 weeks as they vie for the Glitterball trophy.

Willis, Widdicombe and Radebe have taken over from Tess Daly and Claudia, who left the BBC show at the end of the 2025 series.

Widdicombe admitted he was nervous as the new series got under way, telling viewers: ‘It’s a little bit overwhelming to be here but we are so excited…’ 

Ditching the heavy eyeliner and glam ensembles she would normally don on a Saturday, Claudia instead opted for a more pared-back look, sporting minimal makeup and casual clothing

The Traitors host teamed a brown jacket with slouchy jeans tucked into chunky black boots for the outing 

She could be seen leaning against a bollard while checking her phone, as she and Oliver happily enjoyed each other’s company

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Claudia and Oliver share the same mother, author and journalist Eve Pollard, with Eve having welcomed Oliver with her second husband, newspaper editor Sir Nicholas Lloyd

The siblings enjoyed a relaxing day out together

Claudia’s outing comes after the revamped Strictly line-up with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe failed to deliver the ratings boost BBC bosses had hoped for 

On Saturday, the pre-recorded launch show peaked at 5.8 million viewers, according to overnight figures, up slightly on last year’s peak of 5.6 million

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Willis added: ‘We cannot wait to spend the next 13 weeks with all of you.’

And viewers were quick to react to the presenting team on social media.

Willis was widely praised, with one fan hailing her as ‘the goddess of British TV’ as she opened the show in a plunging, glittering dress.

But others questioned the decision to have three presenters, with viewers pointing out the format seems ‘awkward and forced’.

‘Why does it need 3 presenters? It just doesn’t work,’ one wrote on X.

Widdicombe also came in for criticism, with some viewers claiming he appeared ‘out of his depth’.

Amid the furore surrounding the launch show, Claudia didn’t appear to have a care in the world as she enjoyed some retail therapy with her brother.

Ditching the heavy eyeliner and glam ensembles she would normally don on a Saturday, Claudia instead opted for a more pared-back look, sporting minimal makeup and casual clothing. 

The Traitors host teamed a brown jacket with slouchy jeans tucked into chunky black boots for the outing.

She could be seen leaning against a bollard while checking her phone, as she and Oliver happily enjoyed each other’s company.

Claudia and Oliver share the same mother, author and journalist Eve Pollard, with Eve having welcomed Oliver with her second husband, newspaper editor and broadcaster Sir Nicholas Lloyd. 

It comes as ITV made a tactical scheduling change to avoid a direct clash between The Voice and the Strictly launch.

The Voice began at 6.10pm rather than its usual 7pm slot, while Strictly started at 7.25pm.

However, the singing competition, which Willis has hosted since 2014, was unable to match Strictly’s numbers, peaking at two million viewers and averaging 1.6 million.

This means the ITV show, which has been mired in controversy after it emerged coach Tom Jones had been dropped, lost half a million viewers from the previous week.

Willis will spend several weeks going head-to-head with herself on primetime television, and on Saturday, across the two programmes, she helped draw a combined audience of around seven million viewers.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said: “Just three days after NATS assured airlines and passengers that it had introduced a robust ‘mitigation plans’, its flight data processing system has failed again. More than 25,000 Ryanair passengers have already suffered disruption, with over 140 Ryanair flights delayed, yet NATS still cannot tell passengers when this disruption will end.

“Martin Rolfe’s report claimed that another failure was ‘unlikely’ and that NATS could recover more quickly if one occurred. Those claims have been exposed as completely worthless. Just three days later, passengers are once again suffering lengthy delays because NATS has failed to deliver either a reliable system or an effective back-up.

“After the August 2023 collapse, Martin Rolfe assured Parliament that it was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime event’. Then NATS collapsed again on 8 Sept, disrupting more than 2,000 flights. Now, just 13 days later, the same flight data processing system has failed once more. How many times must UK passengers suffer disruption before Martin Rolfe is replaced by somebody competent?