BUDDING young chefs cooked up a storm in the new teaching kitchen of the Cotswold School earlier this month in the Rotary Young Chef competition.

Nine students competed in the first round on Saturday, November 10, at the school with the winner moving on to the next round.

Judges, which included Shaun Naen, head chef at Gloucester College, commented that there were some ambitious menus and the overall standard was very high.

Theo Godfrey, aged 14, of Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, was victorious with a menu of sweet scallops and peas, lemon pasta and passion fruit syllabub.

The runners-up were Maisie Loughton, 13, and Jessie Knowles, 17.

“I am really pleased I won”, said Theo, “It was completely unexpected. I am very surprised as the standard was so high. I am very excited about the next round. Shaun Naen has offered to mentor me.

Bob Hadley, president of the North Cotswolds Rotary Club, thanked the judges, including last year’s winner Amy Brown, and the Cotswold School for hosting the event.