Today they are still at school - tomorrow they could be rivals to Richard Branson. Education reporter Haydn Lewis caught up with some young entrepreneurs from Huntington School, who have given York's business leaders some real food for thought.

STUDENTS from nine city schools battled it out in the final of the York Young Enterprise competition and Wow, from Huntington School, came out on top.

They devised, produced and sold The Wow Food And Drink Guide, filled with entries about York restaurants and hotels plus recipes supplied by their chefs.

The students, who featured in The Press in February, have won £75 to share between them and a trophy for their school, and York Young Enterprise has organised a slap-up meal to celebrate their success.

At Huntington, the team consists of managing director Craig Allison, secretary Daniel Kerr, marketing director Hannah Smithson, sales director Charlotte Brown, finance director Jonathan Brown, his assistant Robert Lucas, operations chief Andrew Moss, human resources boss Aaron Ward and Oliver Smith, ICT director.

Craig, 16, said: "We are really pleased to have won, but in the past six years the school has won five of the city heats in this competition and this time we would like to go all the way and win the regional finals."

Founded in 1963, Young Enterprise is a national business education charity. In the region they run eight programmes for more than 11,000 young people in schools, colleges and universities, with guidance from local business volunteers, teachers and tutors.

Usually programmes are class-based, and three involve students running their own real company, developing entrepreneurial skills for personal success and enhancing their chances of gaining employment.

Teacher Helen Coupland-Smith has been overseeing the sixth formers' mission, and said she is very proud of their achievements to date.

She said: "They have really put their all into the project, and it has taught them a whole range of new skills, from cold-calling restaurants, to trying to gain their interest in submitting recipes and buying advertising space, to sorting out the printing."

Craig said the project had given him a taste for business.

He said: "It would be interesting to go into the world of business after this, but may be not a food and drink guide.

"The whole thing has taught me to be a bit more confident with adults, and it's genuinely given us a taste of what the real world is like."

Charlotte, also 16, said: "It's taught us we have got to be harder on people, especially if they've said they'll pay for something and haven't."

The judges, including Ajaz Ahmed, co-founder of internet service provider Freeserve, were impressed by the professionalism of the company, and a product which generated two revenue streams - from advertisements in the guide and sales to the general public.

The aim of running a Young Enterprise company is for students to gain an understanding of how a business works, and how wealth and employment are created.

At the end of the year, they present a report and accounts to their shareholders.

Paul Blanchard, chairman of the York board of Young Enterprise, said: "All the York students who took part in the business challenge really impressed the judges with their energy, dedication and imagination.

"The Wow team just had that little bit extra. Even old hands could learn from these new kids on the business block."

Wow directors will be guests of honour at the Young Enterprise celebration dinner tomorrow, at One19 The Mount, York.

In the presence of the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Greenwood, and the civic party, they will reveal how they developed the winning formula. After dinner, guests will be entertained by the magic of John Hotowka.

Tickets, priced £29.50, are still available for the three-course, black tie dinner. More details are available from Peter Anderson on 01751 472234 or at peter@yeyork.org.uk All proceeds go to support enterprising young people in the York area.

Wow will now go on to represent York in the North Yorkshire Young Enterprise final in Harrogate on Tuesday.