John Purnell loves a challenge - and he has got one. "It has been quite a hard thing to do," he says, "Finding different vegetable dishes to go with different wines."

The 22-year-old sous chef is describing preparations for a special event at Skipton's Canalside restaurant - a vegetarian gourmet evening with eight courses and eight different wines chosen to match the food.

"Most vegetarian food is fairly light and tends to go with white wine, so we needed to think carefully when matching meals to red wine," says John.

The evening, held next Thursday, is the latest in a number of special food-themed events at the stylish restaurant, including a successful sausage festival held last autumn with ten different sausages. Regulars at the restaurant asked for a vegetarian evening and head chef Daniel O' Donnell was only too happy to oblige.

John, who works alongside Daniel in the busy kitchen, is excited about the event, which will include dishes such as truffled risotto of wild mushroom, goats' cheese and baby spinach wellington and roasted butternut and polenta cake with a sweet cucumber relish.

"I'm really looking forward to it, it will be a good night," he says, while preparing for another busy evening, serving a la carte meals. Lunchtime a la carte and carvery meals are also available to diners, who eat while watching the world go by on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

"We hope a lot of non-vegetarians will come and try the dishes," adds John. Local produce is used wherever possible.

John has worked at the restaurant for three years. "I prepare the main courses and oversee all sections in the kitchen when Dan is not around. I love cooking - it is the only thing I've ever done."

Not many chefs can say they began their career aged 12. "I went to work at the Coniston Hotel in Coniston Cold in the Yorkshire Dales," says the former Skipton Aireville School pupil. "I was just doing a bit of cleaning for extra pocket money, but it gave me an insight into how a busy kitchen works.

"Later, I was able to help out a bit in the kitchen. At that age you don't know what you want to do, but that job gave me the opportunity to learn about cooking, and I enjoyed it. I have that job to thank for my career."

He worked his way up to sous chef before leaving to expand his skills at Canalside.

John lives in Hellifield with his girlfriend Rachel, 23, a primary school teacher in the Worth Valley.

"I often finish late, and by the I get home she's in bed, so we see each other on days off," he says.

"We eat quick, easy food - stir fries, things like that . When I'm cooking all day I just want to relax."

Occasionally, however, John does don his apron and rustle up something special for Rachel. "She loves my cooking, which I'm pleased about, because she's quite fussy."

  • The vegetarian gourment evening at Canalside is next Thursday at 7.30pm and is priced at £35.95 per head.