KEY POINTS:
Many cooks would see working for Gordon Ramsay as their worst kitchen nightmare. For Sam Flaws it's a dream come true.
Through persistence and hard work, the aspiring Dunedin chef has been offered the chance to show his culinary skills under the watchful eye of one of the world's most famous - and famously foul-mouthed - chefs.
"I can't wait, he is my inspiration in the kitchen," Mr Flaws said.
At 18, Mr Flaws has had a decade in the industry. His "career" began folding napkins at a restaurant when he was 8 years old.
"I was too short to start at the sink."
Describing himself an "adrenalin junkie", Mr Flaws said he knew the kitchen was for him from a young age.
"I just love everything about it. The stress, the cooking - it's just brilliant."
Mr Flaws graduated from Otago Polytechnic's cooking course earlier this month.
After winning an award at the National Cooking Championships as a 16-year-old, Mr Flaws emailed Ramsay to see if he had a job available.
"I guess I was being a bit cheeky, but I offered to work for free. I got an email back saying I was too young, and to try again when I turned 18."
Mr Flaws emailed Ramsay again in February this year.
Ramsay invited the youngster to try out at one of his London-based restaurants for four weeks.
"His place is called Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and, out of the 100 best restaurants in the world, this one is ranked 26th," Mr Flaws said.
Ramsay works at the restaurant four nights of the week - a fact that doesn't scare Mr Flaws.
"If he yells at me, he yells at me. A bollocking is never personal. My travel agent told me that my travel insurance covers flying frying pans, so I should be OK."
The would-be chef is expected to work from 7am to midnight Monday to Friday during his four-week trial, but don't expect him to be in any of Ramsay's television shows.
"You won't catch me doing that. I just want to work hard."
One person who has high hopes for Mr Flaws is Table Se7en owner/operator Michael Wilson.
In his resignation notice to Mr Wilson and co-owner Steve Richardson, Mr Flaws wrote that when he writes his own cooking book, he will dedicate a chapter to the Dunedin restaurant.
"That is a kid who is going to go places," Mr Wilson said.
