WHEN Ash Mistry trained as a biochemist, he never imagined he would end up frying eggs for a living.

A victim of the recession, Ash, 43, of Rochford Close, Grange Park, now runs the Egg-E-Licious stall in the tented market, which provides various egg-inspired dishes.

He said without the market, which opened a fortnight ago, he would not have been able to afford to start a business in Swindon.

The father-of-three said: “I never imagined I’d be here – it’s more than a U-turn.

“It’s a risk for me. I could be out there earning a lot of money.”

Ash worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 19 years after gaining a degree in biochemistry.

But two years ago he was made redundant from his job as an accounts manager at a pharmaceutical firm in High Wycombe.

After three months travelling, he managed to line up another job but was made redundant for a second time as the recession took hold.

It was then that Ash started to re-evaluate his choices.

He said the pharmaceutical industry was in decline because of pressures to keep drug costs low.

“It was absolutely down to the recession that I was pushed into this position,” he said.

“It just made me go for what I wanted to do. It’s circumstances that make you choose.

“I enjoyed my job, but after 19 years I wanted to do something different. I looked at the things I am passionate about – cooking and gardening.”

Ash then spent six weeks studying eggs, writing clinical papers on them and studying recipes.

He tested his dishes out at the Swindon Mela festival in July and served 900 dishes in just one day.

Ash had thought about opening a shop in Swindon but that option proved too expensive and it was only when he read in the Advertiser that the tented market was reopening that he found new hope.

“If you’ve got a vision, we’re in a time where people have performed badly and it’s made room for other people to come into the market place.

“If I keep my costs down – and that’s what the market is doing for me – I reckon I’ve got enough to survive for 12 months anyway.”

Ash’s 16-year-old son Pritesh has also been helping out.

And Ash is enjoying life so much, he is not even tempted to return to his former career.

“I’m just hoping the footfall in the market starts getting up,” he said.

“The pharmaceutical industry has started to pick up and I’ve had headhunters approach me, but I was focused by that point and had done my research.

“If I go for the safe option of employment again I’ll never do this.

“My eldest son is my biggest sponsor – he really believes in what I’m doing.”