An Ipswich head chef who juggles a fast-paced cooking career with single parenthood made his television debut on Masterchef: The Professionals last night.

Ipswich Star: The chefs going head-to-head with Sci Daniels on Masterchef: The ProfessionalsThe chefs going head-to-head with Sci Daniels on Masterchef: The Professionals (Image: Archant)

Father-of-two Simon Daniels, known as Sci, has led the team at K Bar and Grill in St Nicolas Street for five years.

He cooked up a storm in the Masterchef kitchen on Wednesday, facing a gruelling skills test – and only just fell short of a quarter final place.

The 37-year-old’s unusual take on chilli con carne impressed Gregg Wallace – who called Sci’s avocado ice cream “inspired” – but left fellow judges Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing divided.

“It has been a great experience and hopefully I have made my home town proud,” he said.

“I am a single dad and it can sometimes be tough juggling that with being a chef.

“I also struggle with dyslexia and ADHD and I wanted to go on the show to prove that you can cook from your heart and still be successful.

“I hope I have done that and I hope I have made my kids proud.”

Sci, who is dad to Olivia, eight, and Dylan, six, was born in Ipswich with an award-winning chef as a father.

He added: “I knew right from the age of about nine that I wanted to cook and be a chef.

“The team at K Bar and Grill are really supportive, we’ve done well in the past few years and were rated in the top three Suffolk restaurants recently.

“It’s a hidden gem in a lot of ways and it’s a great place to work.”

Sci now plans to continue with his career at K Bar and Grill – but said he would not rule out applying again next year.

Watch Sci’s stint on Masterchef: The Professionals by clicking here.