A FORMER Glasgow-based Masterchef contestant is preparing to roll out his recipes for a new meal prep service. 

David Banks, 32, from Rutherglen is carving out a career in the food industry after narrowly missing out in the quarter finals of the cooking show last year.

Glasgow-based company Food Amigo is an alternative to food delivery boxes, offering a weekly meal plan and shopping list providing balanced recipes, with minimal waste.

David's job is to come up with a week’s food plan which utilises ingredients in innovative ways so there is less throwing out unused items.

He said: "Companies that send out an actual delivery of food in a box is vastly overpriced.

"You pay about four times the amount of the value of the food that's in the box.

"If you use what we do you can get your entire food delivered at the cost in the grocery store if you just pay about £4.

"You can get ingredients at the best of butchers or the value range in your local store, depending on your price range not the delivery company.

"Food Amigo gives you just as much inspiration, just as much creativity in the kitchen but without the huge cost burden.

"Lets be honest here, whether you use one of those services, you will still be making a trip to the supermarket at some point during the week, so just pick up the ingredients yourself – it will add about 15 minutes to your trip."

Food Amigo is looking to bring amateur chef opportunities to everyone's kitchen, with a range of healthy recipes and video content. 

The project also hopes to promote Glasgow's foodie scene, creating a hub for those looking to share their views from anything ranging from local experiences in food to their thoughts on trends moving throughout the foodie community. 

David said: "Glasgow really is a great place for some great restaurants and some fantastic chefs, we've even got an award winning chef competing on Masterchef at the moment. 

"There's lots going on, there's so many restaurants around bringing us food from across the world so we do need to remember that for a relatively medium sized city we're really quite spoiled."

Food Amigo is set to the launch on December 16 with plenty of delicious recipes already being planned.

The first week will have an Asian twist to it including a Thai soup, a classic chicken stir fry and lamb meatballs with couscous.

Also on the cards, post-Christmas, are some easy meal ideas for using leftovers such as a three-bean and turkey wrap with homemade salsa.

David added: "I am super focused on making sure the recipes require the use of a minimal number of pots and pans, can be done fairly quickly and are balanced and healthy.

"People would rather crack on with their favourite box set after the kids are in bed than spending forever washing."

Keep updated on Food Amigo via their Twitter and website.