A cookery school in Deal has beat Jamie Oliver to the top spot of a national award.

Cinque Ports Community Kitchen at The Chequers on Golf Road won the Best Community Focused Cookery School award for 2014.

The community interest company on the Ancient Highway between Deal and Sandwich offers free and subsidised classes for local people who are tight on budget and want to learn to cook healthy meals.

Pieter van Zyl, director of food and education, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award. It’s gratifying to have recognition of our work which we really enjoy. We’re on a mission to teach as many people as possible to cook with fresh ingredients so they can eat well on a budget and chuck out the ready meals.

“Several of our participants have recently succeeded in getting jobs in catering after coming along to one of our courses and we’re delighted for them.”

The award was given by Looking to Cook, an independent review site of cookery schools in the UK and the UK Cookery School of the Year Awards is now in its third year.

Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Ministry of Food was the runner-up in the category but Chequers claimed the top spot for its classes that support low-income families and others with learning disabilities.

Stephanie Hayman, director of business and social impact said: “We are really happy to be able to offer such a wide range of classes and workshops for local people.

“Whenever someone eats in our restaurant, or joins a recreational cookery class, or holds their corporate team-building event at Chequers Kitchen, they are supporting our work.”

Cinque Ports Community Kitchen also runs its flagship Keen2Cook courses which lasts ten weeks and will soon be delivered in community settings led by volunteers from the course.

For more information visit the website at www.chequersrestuarant.com.