A young entrepreneur has launched a free new app offering students quick and easy recipes for cooking on a budget.

Former Roundwood Park School pupil Niam Parmar, 20, is the brains behind Student Chef, which has already seen more than 2,500 downloads in six different countries.

Niam, of Brackendale Grove in Harpenden, explained: ‘I realised that if I struggled with what to cook at university, then a lot of other students must struggle as well. Although recipe books are widely available, we’re in the 21st century now where smartphones are commonplace.

“I put two and two together and decided to create the app, and I made it free since I know that the majority of university students are reluctant to part with their money unless they’re spending it on a night out or on food!”

With design work completed by former Roundwood Park schoolmate Tom Ephgrave in exchange for a share of the business, Niam has been working on promoting the app to a wider audience.

It now features more than 100 different recipes, with sub-categories including chicken, lamb, pork, beef, pasta, fish, rice and vegetarian options, as well as a feature allowing users to upload their own tasty dishes to the app.

Niam, who currently works for an accountancy firm in Hemel Hempstead, has already registered the app as a limited company, and has plans to expand it further in the future.