An Irishman has been chosen as one of the final 12 contestants in a prestigious international culinary competition, just months after losing his job as a painter and decorator due to the recession.

After 18 years as a tradesman, father of two William Maher lost his job and was forced to sign on. Not wanting to "sit around and waste time", Maher enrolled for a culinary course, one of his long-standing ambitions.

"I have always wanted to be a chef, and have always had a passion for cooking. So when I lost my job, I wasn't going to sit at home doing nothing so I began a training course."

Now, at 36 years old, Maher has been selected as the only Irish and UK representative to compete in the prestigious contest, which will be recorded for TV and streamed online.

The competition will take place in Spain in early November, and will play host to contestants from the US, Canada, France and Italy.

One of the competitors comes from the American Culinary Institute, which charges its students $40,000 (€27,000) a year to study there.

The only formal training Maher received was a 16-week Fáilte Ireland culinary skills course. He is now training in Fáilte Ireland's kitchens in Dublin every day in preparation for the competition.

"When I saw I was up against competitors who pay $40,000 a year for their training, I got a bit of a shock," he says.

Maher says his wife and two children are delighted with his success.

"My kids think what has happened is great, as does my wife. She knows how much this means to me. As a family, we are very financially strapped, but I'm continuing with this and seeing where it all goes."

However, it has taken some time to adjust to the change in lifestyle.

"The difference in my day is so huge – they are such different worlds, obviously. The contrast between a cold building site and the life I used to lead in comparison to cooking every day is brilliant. I live in Dunleer in Co Louth and am up at 5.30 every morning to get to Drogheda for 6.20am, to get to Dublin on time for all of this [training]."

Maher was trained for his four-month course under the close eye of instructor Martin Potts. "This competition is huge, and the calibre of the contestants likewise. We are the underdogs here in a way, but the Irish have a habit of pulling it out of the bag, so we're hopeful," says Potts.

At the competition, each entrant will try to merge their own food culture with the culture of contest host Spain.

Maher's offering will be a 'fish and chips' tapas, which is a modern take on the Irish favourite. As the former painter says of his newfound success: "It just proves there is life after the recession hits."