MasterChef had better watch out, the next generation of culinary talent is already making its mark in St Albans.
Pupils from five local secondary schools - Beaumont, Verulam, Marlborough Science Academy. St Albans Girls School and St Albans High School for Girls - were represented in the annual Rotary Young Chef Competition, organised by the Rotary Club of St Albans Verulamium, at Oaklands College last week.
Their dishes were judged by a panel of experts including Gopi Chandran, executive chef at Sopwell House Hotel; Paul Wood, chef lecturer at Oaklands Collegem and Peter Austin, chef at The Thistle Hotel.
The overall winner from out of 19 candidates was Isabelle Bicknell of St Albans High School for Girls with her guacamole chicken main course and lemon tart dessert.
Second was Harry Chaney of Marlborough Science Academy with a rack of lamb on sweet potato followed by apricot tart and in third place was Rachel Moore, also of Marlborough Science Academy, with a chicken and parma ham main course plus pear and orange dessert.
This event is the first stage of the National Rotary Young Chef Competition and Isabelle now goes on to the next stage to be held in Hitchin in February.
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