A HOLMFIRTH chef once famed for his `Lard of the Rings' has gone one step better with Harry Potter.

Gary Schofield, 32, won a top award for his sculpture of the fictitious young wizard carved entirely out of fat.

Gary won the silver medal in the Works in Fat category at the Salon Culinaire International event in London.

Gary, who lectures at Huddersfield Technical College, claimed bronze in 2002 with his 2ft-high Lord Saruman from the book Lord of the Rings.

Chefs from all over the world competed in the contest to create a decorative work of fat. The entries were judged on creativity, workmanship, degree of difficulty and presentation.

It took Gary 20 hours to carve the young wizard out of a special type of fat - called flex, a white pastry margarine - which doesn't melt easily.

He said: "It isn't the first time I've created Harry Potter.

"I made a smaller version of him a few years ago and it was spotted by Harry's creator, writer JK Rowling.

"She wrote to me, passing on her congratulations for sculpting such a wonderful statue and saying it was one of the most unusual Harry Potters she had ever seen."

Gary said he doesn't have an artistic background but does seem to have a flair for sculpting.

He added: "I always create something that is topical, mainly film characters that are in the public eye at the time, for maximum impact.

"The sculptures are created in the same way you would work with clay, using your hands, carving tools and rubber-tipped paint brushes.

"Firstly you make a frame, which you put the fat on to get the basic shape. Then you clean it up and add the detail with tools.

"The sculptures can't be kept for ever, but will last 18 months."

Gary, a former catering student at the Tech, now teaches on its advanced culinary diploma.

He was introduced to fat carving 15 years ago. His first sculpture was a swan and his other creations have included Donkey, from the film Shrek.

His Harry Potter sculpture is on display outside the college's Chameleon Restaurant on the New North Road campus.