Pair cook up success

Their dish of pork in honey and mustard coating with crispy potatoes, salad, and bread rolls won the competition held at Valentines High School by a single point.

Students from seven Redbridge secondary schools were given a budget of £4 and a time limit of 90 minutes in which to impress a panel of judges.

Wanstead High's head of food and textiles Leslie White said that teamwork was the key to their success. She said: "They were really organised and co-operated really well together. They were very nervous but they did so well. They are very sensible and mature.

"The judges said the presentation was fantastic but they said that they won because they were very clean and hygienic."

Scott is so keen on cooking that he has now signed up for Saturday classes at Waltham Forest College.

Mrs White said: "They were shocked to win. They didn't expect to and they were over the moon. You should have seen their faces."

The young cooks had to follow a written time plan and marks were given for this as well as co-operation between the pair, cooking skills, presentation of the dish and flavour.

Among the guests watching the competition were the Redbridge Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Cllr Laurence Davies and Diane Davies, and the youth committee chairman of the Redbridge Rotary Club Robert Jackson.

Mr Jackson said: "They all worked very hard. I'm no culinary expert but the way they presented it was extremely artistic.

"They were absolutely delighted. The way they were grinning spoke volumes."

Pipped into second place were the Beal High School team of Luke Thompson and Samantha Tant.

Asifa Khan and Chandi Hindocha from Caterham High came third.

The winning pair were presented with an electric juicer and an electric food mixer, and will now go forward to the London and Essex District final in May. There they will have their budget increased to £6 but will also have to come up with a dessert course.