Young chefs at Highcliffe School wow judges with culinary skills

BUDDING young chefs at Highcliffe School impressed judges in the first round of an annual cooking competition.

Hosted by the village's Rotary club, it involved students preparing a two-course meal in two hours within a strict budget.

Student Phoebe Goddard’s menu of mackerel fillet, sautéed potatoes with gremolata, and a tangy lemon tart for dessert was the winner.

The judges were: club president John Spencer, assistant district governor Richard Burnett, a London-trained chef, and club treasurer John Nicholls.

They said Phoebe's cookery skills just "blew" them away, and the presentation of her food was as good as it tasted, earning her the top prize.

She will now go through to the second of four stages on the road to the national final next March.

Mr Spencer said: “It’s inspiring to see so many talented young chefs excelling in a competition environment.

“After a challenging couple of years for everyone, it really is encouraging that competitions like this are still running successfully proving that Rotary, working closely with schools, can be a real force in improving the futures of young people."

He added: “The quality and standard of preparation and production of the meals, by all the students, was very high.

“It was a very close finish for all six students."