St Philip Howard student in cooking challenge finals

Alex Field wowed the judges with his culinary creation.

The free-to-enter challenge, launched by the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) and judged by celebrity chef James Martin, asked students to submit an original recipe featuring Quality Standard beef mince.

The talented youngsters, who also had to develop a time plan and budget, will now be given one hour to cook their dish, which will be judged by James Martin.

Alex will be cooking Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers.

The competition, which was open to all Food & Technology/Catering GCSE students in Key Stage 3 and 4, aims to encourage students to take an interest in food and healthy eating.

Prizes up for grabs for each of the regional winners include 200 worth of school kitchen equipment vouchers and professional chef whites.

Mr Martin said: 'The challenge is an excellent way of encouraging youngsters to take an interest in their food.

'It is important to inspire them to eat healthily and encourage skills that can help them in later life. When they are engaged in cooking they really come out of their shell and produce some fabulous dishes.

'Last year's winners really blew me away with their skills and passion for cooking and I'm looking forward to seeing the level and quality of the students this year.'

Denise Spencer-Walker, Food Adviser from EBLEX, added: 'We were thoroughly impressed with the level of originality shown in the recipes. It was a tough job to pick our finalists.

The students we have chosen all demonstrate creativity, the recipes are well thought out and nutritionally balanced.

We're really looking forward to seeing if they taste as good as they look!'

For more information on the Quality Standard beef mince Young Chef Challenge visit www.bmesonline.org.uk.