Not so long ago Jeff Goepel was flipping burgers in a greasy spoon caf.

Now he's ditching fast food for a life of crab risotto and oxtail ravioli behind the scenes at Jamie Oliver's London restaurant Fifteen.

Jeff, of Henge Way, Portslade, is one of the latest batch of unemployed young people being offered the chance to train under Jamie at the restaurant seen in last year's Channel 4 show Jamie's Kitchen.

The series followed the chef as he took a team of 16 to 24-year-olds with virtually no previous experience of cooking and tried to transform them into top-class chefs.

Not all the trainees made the grade but those who did are now heading overseas to further their careers.

One is reported to have flown to California with Jamie recently to cook a meal for Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

Meanwhile in the UK, there is a three-month waiting list for a table at Fifteen.

Now Jamie is to do it all again - a decision that seems set to change Jeff's life.

On the dole and depressed, Jeff applied to be on Jamie's Kitchen.

There were 1,000 applicants for just 15 places but he talked his way into the last 30 by sharing his passion for Mexican food.

In January, the remaining hopefuls were taken to Wales where they were thrown into high-pressure situations to test their reactions.

Jeff came through with flying colours.

He said: "It was a lot of hard work. I'm more of a night person but even though I was pretty much the last person to go to sleep at night, I was the first person to wake up each morning. I was first in the kitchen to help with the breakfasts."

While many 19-year-old men are still learning how to cook beans on toast, Jeff considers himself an old hand in the kitchen.

He said: "I've always been interested in cooking.

My mum is partially to do with my inspiration because she is such an appalling cook. I had to make my own packed lunches for years."

Jeff went to Portslade Community College before deciding he did not like it and moved to Northamptonshire.

He returned to Brighton to do computing at City College.

He found the course dull so moved to Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth-Form College to do communication studies.

The teenager then worked at cafs, spending much of his time frying burgers.

He said: "I was in this position where I didn't know where I was going, building up debts and finding it hard to get a job. I had never been so depressed in my life.

"Jamie is an amazing person. When I met him I couldn't thank him enough. I told him I couldn't believe he'd given us this chance.

"He just handed me more champagne.

"I want to get to the stage where I'm that good I will be designing my own cuisine."