Young chefs impress

A COOKING competition overseen by two TV chefs has taken place at a Huntingdonshire secondary school. Kimbolton School held its tenth annual Masterchef Competition on Saturday October 6 judged by winner Stephen Wallis and runner-up Hannah Miles of the BB

A COOKING competition overseen by two TV chefs has taken place at a Huntingdonshire secondary school.

Kimbolton School held its tenth annual Masterchef Competition on Saturday October 6 judged by winner Stephen Wallis and runner-up Hannah Miles of the BBC Masterchef competition.

Pupils had two hours to cook a two-course menu for one person with a budget of £8.

The standard of the entries were said to be so high that two winners, 15-year-olds Nick Scrivinger and Mary Hodgson-Jones were chosen. Nick's cooked duck with butternut squash and ginger lyonnaise potatoes and green beans with a tarte-tartin sauce, followed by a tart.

Mary Hodgson-Jones produced a mackerel rolled in oatmeal with a beetroot salad and hazelnut raspberry pyramid with a raspberry coulis.

The runner-up was Guy Newsom who prepared a filet of lamb with seasonal vegetables and a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. Prizes included a knife set and Master Chef Live cookery book.

Clare Bennett, head of food technology at the school said: "It was a huge success. It was held on the school open day so we had lots of people watching them cook. It was really nice to see children creating some truly interesting dishes."

Other pupils to take part in the competition, which was for students aged 11 to 18, were Nat Knell, Claire Greenland, Catherine Fussell, Sam Knell, Tristan Hutchinson and Polly Lawman.

The winners will now go on to compete in the Kimbolton Castle Rotary Club Young Chef competition taking place in November 13.