He's turned his passion into a vocation and become a real talent.

Now Jon Myers is collecting awards and has been dubbed The Chutney Champion.

The Unusual Chutney Company is becoming a red-hot success since Jon launched it in January after nerve damage left him hardly able to move the left hand side of his body and developed depression.

Jon, of Denby Lane Crescent, Grange Moor , whose chilli-fuelled products have already won him four awards, said that it has helped him conquer his ‘demons’ and ended a spell of unemployment due to his conditions.

It is a completely new venture for Jon, 43, who had been a security guard on film sets such as the Harry Potter films before becoming unwell.

He said: “I started growing chillies a couple of years ago and had so many someone suggested that I make them into chutneys.

“I started giving them away to family and friends and got good feedback so I decided to enter some of them into the Honley Show last year.

“Both my tomato and red onion chilli and piccalilli won first places which was great and then I won again with the tomato chutney and a cherry chilli chutney at Mirfield Show.”

He decided to turn his passion into a vocation due to feeling a need to find a job.

Jon said: “I had been made redundant due to my nerve problem and was feeling depressed and advisers at A4E decided that self-employment could be for me.

“So I set up the company this year and now produce my chutneys and sauces on a small scale from home with help from my wife, Helen.

“It’s helping me overcome my issues and beat my demons– I love to cook and it saves me from feeling down.

“It’s something that I would probably have never considered doing had I not lost my old job, it’s proved that there are silver linings.”

He is now taking his tasty and creative take on chutneys to food and craft fairs around the area and they on sale at Cafe 33 in Meltham.

He has also donated some of his chutneys to Huddersfield foodbank The Welcome Centre.

“I grow some of my own ingredients but also use local produce and chillies grown by specialist growers.

“Some of the mixes may sound unusual but we have so much good food in the UK I just want to make the most of it.

“My parents were meat and two veg people so I’m making the most of experimenting with different things.

“I create sauces too and have make one called Fiend Fyre, which has been entered into the World Hot Sauce Awards in Louisiana, USA”, said Jon.”

To find out more search for The Unusual Chutney Company on Facebook.