Meet the Streatham chef hoping a break into TV could turn him into the area’s Jamie Oliver and give him the chance to transform school meals.

Sanjay Dwivedi, of Gracefield Gardens, is one of four chefs starring in the UK version of Iron Chef, a cult US and Japanese cooking show recently described by the Guardian newspaper as the “single best thing on TV” stateside.

The reality TV show – to be screened daily from next week on Channel 4 – appears to be an intriguing combination of Ready Steady Cook and Masterchef meets Banzai and the Gladiators, described by Sanjay as like “no cooking programme you have ever seen”.

While the Streatham chef said he hoped it could see him move into the ranks of celebrity chefs, he also wanted it to give him the profile to help transform the area’s attitude to food.

He said: “Streatham is really improving when it comes to restaurants, but I also want people in the area see the importance of eating well in everyday life.”

The 42-year-old, who moved from Battersea to Streatham four years ago, hopes new found fame will help him run mass cooking demonstrations this summer at St Simon and St Jude’s, the Streatham Hill church where his two young twins were recently baptised.

The former Ivy and Fat Duck chef also wants to get involved in improving school meals and cooking in local schools.

He said: “The work Jamie started was excellent, but I still believe more can be done and the work continued. I would love to do that.”

The Iron Chef show’s format will see a team of accomplished chefs trying to impress judges by outcooking Sanjay, head chef at Michelin starred Kensington restaurant Zaika, and other resident “iron chefs” in pursuit of a weekly £1,000 prize.

They must cook with surprise special ingredients of anything from aubergine to octopus in an imposing kitchen arena setting overseen by a Japanese ring master - The chairman.

Sanjay said: “It’s really like no other cooking show and will really draw people in and change the way people view cooking.”

It will be on every weekday at 5pm.