French bakery manufacturer Délifrance has announced that 19-year-old student chef Ricky Matonti is to represent the UK in its international sandwich competition.

Matonti, who has worked under the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal, will be taking on seven other student chefs from across the globe during the Délifrance Sandwich World Cup, with his duck cassoulet sandwich.

The recipe comprises spiced slow-cooked duck with a purée of seasoned haricot beans and his own ketchup on top of a toasted Délifrance Sourdough Pavé.

It will be showcased at the semi-final of the contest to be held at Délifrance’s Ecole de Boulangerie et de Pâtisserie in Paris, on 4 February 2014.

The overall ‘sandwich master’ will then be crowned at the Sandwich and Snack Show the following day.

Matonti, a student at the University of West London, said: “My experience with top celebrity chefs really inspired me to create a luxurious recipe worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant, but in a convenient grab-and-go sandwich.

“I wanted to use ethnic ingredients to complement the tasty French dish as I believe this is a great way to represent the multicultural side of the UK.”

Ian Dobbie, managing director of Délifrance UK, said Ricky was proof that student chefs have the talent and the passion to help the sandwich industry develop even further. “Délifrance picked Ricky and his recipe to represent the UK, based on the on-trend ingredients and popularity of ethnic flavours in the sandwich market.”

The Délifrance Sandwich World Cup is held every two years, and challenges budding chefs to transform the humble sandwich into a gastronomic delight.