AS England recovers from losing the rights to host the 2018 World Cup, chippy Mark Petrou will visit winning nation Russia and teach natives how to cook fish and chips.

He will be the first person to cook Britain’s favourite dish in Russia when he visits the city of Perm – the most easterly city in Europe with a population of about one million – next week.

“I’m going to teach the Russians how to cook fish and chipskis,” the award-winning Chatteris chef joked this week as he prepared for his week-long trip.

“It is an exciting trip and I am looking forward to it. I hope it will become the first of many similar trips around the world.”

Mr Petrou, who runs restaurants in Chatteris, March and Ely, will work for Russian fast food chain Alendvic, which is looking to open a number of fish and chip outlets.

Two British companies fought for the contract to train Russian chefs. It was awarded to a company based in Market Deeping, which is supplying the cooking equipment and suggested Mr Petrou as the trainer.

He said: “The temperature there earlier this week was –32C and it is only going to get colder.

“The company is having to provide me with special clothing just so I can make it from my hotel room to the shopping �centre where I am going to be working.”