A fifteen year-old cookery champ from Loose made a prize winning meal on Friday for a group of dignitaries including the mayor of Maidstone.

Charlotte Fife, who was crowned overall winner of Young Cooks 2017 in November, took the helm of a VIP luncheon staged to celebrate the success of the annual cooking contest.

The youngster, from Invicta Girls’ Grammar School in Maidstone, prepared her signature dishes of pork loin followed by gypsy tart for 26 people – which included the competition’s category winners and the panel of judges - at Best Western Abbots Barton Hotel in Canterbury.

Also in attendance was Alex Woollett of Mid Kent College in Gillingham who won Young Cooks Professionals 2017 – a spin-off event to find the region’s best student chef.

Maxine Tarquini, organiser of the Young Cooks contest and luncheon, said: “She was supported by staff at the hotel, but make no mistake, Charlotte was in charge!

“This was a wonderful conclusion to the 2017 Young Cooks competition which had the highest standard of entries, the biggest number of finalists, and the toughest battle for the top spot.

“Charlotte should be very proud of all she has achieved.”

Cllr Malcolm Greer, mayor of Maidstone, described the cooking champ as a fantastic and unassuming young lady and said her food was “every bit as good as I had up at the Ritz.”

He added: “We were so proud of Charlotte, one of our local girls, who did so well to be the overall winner of this wonderful competition.

“I trust that this is something which will grow as the years progress, to give young people a good grounding in cooking - something which I wish had been around in our younger days!”

Charlotte said: “I’ve had a wonderful day. I made roast pork with mashed potato, cabbage with bacon lardons, cider gravy and apple puree - and gypsy tart with caramelised walnuts and crème fraîche.

“It was absolutely wonderful having the experience with all the chefs, and everything that’s been provided with Young Cooks.”

The Young Cooks contest – previously known as Kent Cooks – saw 17 finalists from across the south east compete at a MasterChef-style cook-off on November 30, 2017 in the kitchens at East Kent College in Broadstairs.

A £500 prize pot was divided between the category winners and overall champion, while every finalist received a packed goody bag and framed certificate.

Antonin Corcoran, 10, from Petham Primary School in Canterbury, won the primary category with his broccoli and cheese soup in a homemade bread bowl. Morgan Kinch, 13, from Herne Bay High School, topped the secondary category with two spicy dishes - bean and bacon casserole, and meatballs and pasta with garlic bread.

The family category champ was seven year-old Boglar Bote-Godri from St Nicholas Primary Academy in New Romney. She teamed up with her father Bence for a menu of fishcake with celery, fennel, watercress, capers and lemon dressing - followed by cinnamon panna cotta with caramelised pears.

Judging the entries were representatives from NFU Mutual, S.E. Medical, Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Orbit, Benenden Hospital Trust, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Chequers Kitchen Cookery School, Licensing Consultancy Services, Suzanne Howe Communications, The Southern Co-operative, Whole School Meals, and Brakes.

Youngsters aged between six and 19 years can now enter Young Cooks 2018 using the simple online form at www.youngcooks.org.uk

Organisations interested in supporting this year’s contest and joining the judging panel should contact Maxine Tarquini at mtarquini@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 0844 264 0291.