AN executive pastry chef at the Beechfield House Hotel just outside Melksham has been named as one to watch in 2018 by a national glossy magazine.

Damien Wager, 27, is among 16 young chefs named by olive magazine as part of its annual ‘chefs-to-watch’ review of the country’s top culinary talent.

Since joining the 4 AA red star, 2 AA Rosette Beechfield House Hotel in Wiltshire as an executive pastry chef, Wager’s stunning desserts have gained wider attention and great acclaim.

Mr Wager moved to the 24-bedroomed Beechfield House Hotel last January to be closer to his partner, Emma Cosier, a third year student at the University of Bath.

“I like to make desserts that people look at and think ‘that’s too nice to eat’,” said Damien, whose influences include Antonio Bachour in Miami, and Cedric Grolet in Paris.

The self-taught chef says his long-term ambition is to run his Edible Art Patisserie Ltd business, which organises gourmet events and pastry masterclasses, in his adopted county, Cornwall.

Laura Rowe, editor of the magazine olive, says: “Olive has a long history of discovering unsung chefs and our annual chefs-to-watch list is a great opportunity to celebrate those that are working hard and doing seriously interesting things in their region.“We’ve got a really exciting mix this year, from modern Portuguese and Scandi-Jap, to coastal fine dining and jazzed up fish and chips. I’m really excited to follow these chefs’ careers and ventures over the next 12 months.”

Damien was born in Essex but moved to Cornwall at the age of 14 and went to the Humphrey Davy School in Penzance. After leaving school he went to work as a pot washer and has since climbed the career ladder in his chosen profession.

At the age of 23, he joined one of Truro’s top hotels, the four-star Alverton Manor, as a sous chef and within a few months was promoted to head chef.

“It is very humbling when I go to some of the colleges, and all the students want to take selfie photographs with me,” he said. “I don’t get carried away, as I know it could all end in an instant.”

Olive’s ‘one-to-watch’ list includes rising stars mentored by some of the industry’s best to experienced chefs branching out by opening their own restaurants.