WHEN chef Jon Ashton and wife Mary packed their bags in Haydock back in 1997 they had just $2,000 to their name and a 'panful' of dreams.

Now seven years after they touched down in Florida, Jon, dubbed the 'Mad Chef' who learned his culinary craft at St Helens College truly is a 'boy done good', establishing himself as a top celebrity cook on American TV and whisking up dishes for some of the USA's biggest stars.

After starting off with his own production team making cable tv shows at his new hometown of Celebration, Orlando, 31-year-old Jon has gone on to secure a regular noon slot on ABC's national TV network, cook for celebrities including the cast of Friends, boy band N-Sync and made an appearance on one of America's biggest shows The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

More recently he has recorded a series of ten national shows for Walt Disney World, in which he has travelled around highlighting some of the resort's finest foods.

Now, though, after a seven-year exile St Helens' best kept-secret is planning on returning to the town for a holiday with wife Mary, 31, who hails from Thatto Heath.

Speaking to The Star from America, Jon said: "We've not been able to come back because it's taken us forever to get our green card but now we're looking forward to visiting.

"I hope to go back to St Helens College and inspire some of the students to go on and fulfil their dreams."

Exotic

Jon graduated from St Helens College in 1994 with NVQ qualifications in culinary and hospitality and his skills soon saw him hired by the Kirkfield Hotel, in Newton-le-Willows, acquiring the nickname 'The Mad Chef' because of his desire to blend exotic ingredients. After moving to the US, his first breakthrough came working as chef for a wealthy family and then launching a self-created chef show on a local cable channel.

Jon adds: "I put an advert in a paper for a production team and got a good response.The idea of the show was that I went into a family's home and cooked a three-course meal from whatever was in the fridge.

"From there I went and did some work on an Orlando TV show and got the regular noon slot on ABC.

"I've appeared on The Tonight Show ,which attracts 18 million viewers, where I was given 12 dollars to buy food from a garage and make a three-course meal. I came up with a spam dish and Matt Le Blanc (Joey out of Friends) loved it."

Jon will be back visiting St Helens, where he still owns a house in Whittle Avenue, Haydock, in December. He hopes to share his success with friends and family, while sampling a few culinary delights. He adds: "I can't wait to get stuck into a bacon butty and a good curry."