Originally from Dublin, JP’s cooking career began in college, one which he says was “part-financial, part-love”. Now as a food columnist, the director of Galway Food Festival and the owner of three successful restaurants in Galway city – Aniar Restaurant, Cava Bodega and Eat Gastropub – JP McMahon is busy with RTÉ’s The Taste of Success.

His role on the show involves mentoring food entrepreneurs from Ulster and Connacht to develop their products. Working alongside Martin Shanahan of Munster, Catherine Fulvio of Leinster, and Domini Kemp of the Dublin region, JP said that 2015 proved a tough competition.

“There were over 4,000 applicants this year. The standard was very good, so it was difficult to pick. There were lots of really good products and ideas, and a good entrepreneurial element to it. We whittled it down to six contestants, and then down to two,” he says.

This year’s contestants are competing for the prize of €100,000 and the thrill of seeing their product on the shelves of more than 140 Lidl stores nationwide. JP was looking for a product that not only tasted great, but would also sell.

“I’m looking for something interesting, something creative, something that stands out. Not only does the product have to taste good, but I need to find something that can be mass produced as well,” he says.

“For me it was a learning curve, absolutely. I come from a restaurant background, so I produce food on a much smaller level. We worked alongside GMIT to produce and develop the product. It was very interesting learning how to take a product and bring it to the market, from one to 10,000.”

JP says the competition was very high among the contestants.

“There were two chefs and many part-time cooking professionals. We were expecting creative elements, and some really good desserts. I was careful because I had to take into account that this product must sell. Daithí plays the good cop when I play the bad cop, and vice versa,” he says.

The mentors will be helping the food entrepreneurs to develop their product in the hope of winning the prize of a lifetime, so is there much rivalry between himself, Catherine and Martin?

“It’s friendly rivalry. Martin in Munster is formidable, he’s over-confident – I’ll get in trouble for saying that. Domini and Catherine are both very intelligent, and will only pick the best for the final. The prize will change someone’s life. It will open up quite a few opportunities in their career,” JP concludes.

Watch The Taste of Success on 29

September at 8.30pm on RTÉ One. CL