Chef, butcher, gardener, jockey: Sunderland man relives his incredible career journey

The Whitburn man can boast that, in an incredible career, he did all of this.

Career as a jockey hit a hurdle

He trained as a jockey with a stables in Northumberland but quit the profession when he wanted to race over the flat rather than his career in jumps.

Alun turned to the butcher trade but wanted to develop himself further.

He got a job at Newcastle University as the banqueting chef.

Then he became the dietician at Sunderland General Hospital.

Award-winning chef at well known hotels

He became a chef at some of the most renowned hotels in the Wearside and County Durham area, including the Ramside in Durham and the Seaburn Hotel where he won awards.

He catered for the Saudi royal family and ran part of the restaurant for a huge airport development in Saudi.

He was a troubleshooter for Vaux in their pub chains.

Hear his story in full

And now he has become the seventh person to be interviewed in the first series of the Wearside Echoes podcast, sponsored by Tony Clarke Funeral Directors.

He told us how his career had been packed with wonderful memories but simple foods such as scrambled eggs on toast remain among his favourites.

This is only a small extract of an interview with an incredible man and you can find out more from next Tuesday when the next episode of Wearside Echoes will be available.

‘They all had a love for their hometown of Sunderland’

It is sponsored by Tony Clarke Funeral Directors which has locations in Millfield, South Hylton, Southwick and Downhill.

Sunderland Echo journalist Chris Cordner has taken a look at Sunderland in years gone by - but he’s done it by interviewing the very people who lived through it.

Chris said: “I had a wonderful time interviewing all of these people and they had great stories to share.

“Some grew up near the shipyards. Others by the coast but they all shared one common link which is a love for their hometown of Sunderland.”

Make sure you visit Wearside Echoes from next Tuesday to hear Alun’s interview.

And you can catch all six of the previous episodes on the site as well.