ASPIRING chefs from schools in Harrogate and York took part in a competition at Selby College.

The Springboard FutureChef North Yorkshire Final was held at the college last week, with four pupils from Years 9 and 10 at Harrogate Grammar School and Vale of York Academy taking part.

Nationally, Springboard’s FutureChef sees more than 8,000 young people take part in the four-stage competition, which also includes classroom resources, chef demonstrations and skills challenges to help form a link between schools and hospitality employers.

Nat Keatphanon, 14, from the Vale of York Academy won the North Yorkshire Regional Final of the competition, for his "unusual and difficult menu of Thai lamb shank with spaghetti and radish", followed by Thai dumpling dessert, and will compete for a place in the final at Sheffield College on January 31.

Nat said: "Wow, I’m very happy to have won and I’m really looking forward to the regional final."

Saurabh Prabhakar, executive chef at Hilton York, said: "It was a hard decision to make as standards were so high today, but Nat’s dishes were a good combination and balance of flavours and textures. There was some great talent today."

Tim Bateman, executive chef at Park Inn York, said: "The standard was so high there were only a few points difference between all of the competitors and all of the food produced today has been done so well by some very talented young people."

The competition culminates on March 12, with the national final at Westminster Kingsway College, London.