Finalists 2008 After some tough decisions, we're down to three finalists. Find out more about Emily, James and Jonny.

In this article

Recipes from the finalists Emily

James Jonny

Sheridan (semi-finalist)

• Chorizo, ricotta and soft egg ravioli with crisp parma ham and pea shoot coulis by Emily Ludolf
• Raspberry and white chocolate tart by James Nathan
• Pan-fried scallops with black truffle on curried cauliflower cream by Jonny Stevenson

Eighteen-year-old student Emily aims to change the world through food. Her ambition is to push the boundaries on how we perceive food and inspire teenagers across the country to get involved in cooking. She began her food journey at the age of three, when she made meringue mice with her mum. Since then food has played an essential role in her life. Emily’s food is inspired by the time she has spent travelling, when she discovered new ways of cooking and combining flavours. Alongside food, Emily's other passion is art, and this love is reflected in her cooking. She believes that food is an art form in itself, as both can evoke a sense of emotion.

Thirty-three-year-old James gave up his career in law to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. James has had a passion for food ever since he started cooking loaves of bread for his Action Man figures as a kid! Since then he has been fascinated by the skill and processes involved in producing exceptional food. Aside from cooking, James is a keen mountain biker and has published a book about biking in Spain. James, his wife and their toddler daughter have lived in Spain but are now based just outside of Bristol, where he works part-time while he pursues his cooking dream.

Father-of-two Jonny reads cookbooks before he goes to sleep most nights and is inspired by French cooking. Jonny spent most of his adult life working in a bank, but recently left his job in order to pursue his food dream. His ideas about food changed after his first visit to a Michelin-starred restaurant in London and since then he has been determined to develop his skills as a cook and produce beautiful home-cooked food. Jonny hopes to bring his food to Ireland by owning his own bistro.

Twenty-three-year-old Sheridan works as an assistant dealer for a bank, but her true passion has always been cooking. Food has always been an important part of her life and her energy and enthusiasm shines through in the variety of dishes she creates. Sheridan has a fresh approach to cooking and is inspired by the ingredients she has to work with. Her biggest dream is to one day have a Michelin star of her own! Sheridan was knocked out of the competition after the critics' dinner.