When steak pie is on the menu and Martin Rudley is in the kitchen, it's a recipe for success.

Last year the talented chef displayed his skills to reach the final of the UK National Steak Pie competition, strengthening the reputation he has built for himself as second chef at the Ring O'Bells on the edge of the moors above Thornton village.

"I went down to London for the competition," he says. "It was exciting, and I was quite relaxed."

The secrets of a great steak pie, he divulges, are "making sure it is well-balanced and full of flavour - but not over-flavoured - and not too rich. It is vital that the mix of pastry and filling should work together to make it a perfect pie."

It is not the first time Martin has found himself under the spotlight - in 2006 he was a semi-finalist in the same contest and a member of the Ring O'Bells' winning UK Pub Chef of the Year team.

The popular country pub and Bronte restaurant is famed for its creative cuisine, based on well-loved traditional dishes.

A range of beef, chicken, and pork meals are served along with vegetarian options. Pies includes homemade steak and kidney, meat and potato, and seasonal fish pie topped with a cheese mash.

"We use locally-sourced produce," says Martin, of Eccleshill, who clearly loves his role as one of a five-strong team in the busy kitchen. "We get on well, we have a bit of banter, a laugh and a joke. If anyone is left behind we help each other out."

Growing up in Yeadon, Martin credits his grandmother and parents for his love of cooking. "My grandma was really good at sweets - she made delicious crumbles and pies. She always had lot of different ideas and she really inspired me," he says.

"My parents were good cooks too and I helped them in the kitchen. I loved thinking up different ways of using the ingredients - I have always thought of cooking as an art, and like to play around and look at the different ways of preparing food. It's like being a designer."

He studied at Thomas Danby catering college in Leeds before joining the Paris restaurant in the city, working his way from commis chef to chef to partie. A move to the Leeds canalside restaurant Leodis came next, where Martin got a taste of life at a Michelin-starred eatery.

"It was given the star while I was working there," he says proudly. "And Paris had a red M' star. It is great to be part of a good team and be recognised." Before joining the Ring O'Bells, Martin worked at Bradley's in Highgate, Heaton.

Like most chefs, he rarely finds time to relax, but when he does he enjoys spending time with his five-year-old daughter Georgia. "We play dolls and go to the park," says Martin. "And she's really into cooking - she knows I'm a chef, she tells her friends at school."

His own culinary taste varies widely. "I like chicken livers, and I love a nice, slow-cooked lamb joint with vegetables and a rich sauce. I'm quite adventurous - I love trying new things. I've had crocodile, which was okay, and shark, which tasted like watery meat."

And, of course, he loves pies. "Steak is my favourite.

I make quite a few at home - my dad loves them."

Martin is happy at the Ring O'Bells, working closely with joint head chef Jason Howlett.

He adds: "I love to see people enjoying themselves, and coming back again for more - it is very satisfying."