A gardener from Macclesfield has won a cooking contest judged by two famous TV chefs.

Jonathan Wood has been crowned the winner of Britain's Best Spag Bol competition, by The Hairy Bikers. 

A showdown with four teams took place in Manchester, with each contestant battling it out to win the coveted trophy and opportunity for their recipe to be featured on Knorr's Beef Stock Pot from Spring 2024.

Jonathan (centre) with Si King and Dave Myers. (Image - Chris Bethell Photography)

From ancho chillies to peach chutney, the finalists revealed an array of secret ingredients for an extra flavour kick.

However, Jonathan's use of honey from his local beekeeper outshone them all and resulted in a Spag Bol with perfectly balanced sweet and savoury notes. Following a tough judging session, The Hairy Bikers awarded Jonathan with the sought-after winning prize.

Commenting on his win Jonathan says: "To win Britain's Best Spag Bol is absolutely amazing."

The Maxonian's title-winning spaghetti. (Image - Chris Bethell Photography)

"My recipe boasts a rich sauce with tomatoes, herbs and caramelised beef. Sweetened with my secret ingredient, honey.

"The richness of the sauce is lightened by the acidity of sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and a little spice from a couple of drops hot sauce.

"My tip for fellow spaghetti enthusiasts is to get the best ingredients you can afford, take your time, season it well and of course, use a Knorr beef stock pot."

He used Macclesfield honey to help him bag the prize. (Image - Chris Bethell Photography)

It is not the first time The Hairy Bikers have shown their support for a Macclesfield chef.

In 2021, they visited Sunitha Southern, who now runs Bollington restaurant KIRA by Sunitha.

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