Michelin-star chef Phil Kearsey revealed the most essential ingredient to elevate any dish, and it costs just £1.40.

As the executive chef of London's longest-standing Michelin-star restaurant, Pied à Terre, he's certainly a man in the know.

This budget-friendly ingredient is probably already in the back of your kitchen cupboard, but according to Kearsey, it's a game-changer for adding depth to any sauce or dressing.

His secret is sherry wine vinegar, with a deep, complex flavour coming from the Spanish province of Cádiz.

Talking to Sky News, Phil Kearsey said: "My secret ingredient I love and use all the time is sherry vinegar. It adds so many layers of flavour in a sauce, a puree or a dressing. I can drink the stuff!"

While red wine and sherry vinegar are similar, the latter has a milder, slightly sweeter flavour with more complex notes, whereas red wine tends to be more acidic and fruity.

Sharing his best advice to home chefs, he added that acidity adds dimension and flavour to even the simplest of dishes.

He went on: "Acidity is a seasoning! Just like salt and pepper, citrus or vinegar can take a simple thing to another dimension."

In terms of "overrated" Instagram trends, Kearsey also dispelled the myth that adding micro herbs instantly transforms your dish into something elegant and flavoursome.

The head chef succinctly said: "Yes, it looks lovely on Instagram but if it adds nothing to the dish get it out of there!"

Before taking over the executive chef position at Pied à Terre, Kearsey was head chef at private members’ club Annabel’s in Mayfair, and executive chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair, where he achieved three rosettes.

Sherry vinegar is generally produced between the city of Jerez de la Frontera and towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, known as the "sherry triangle".