The heat is on

Jamie Oliver would be proud. Eleven students are honing their cooking skills for a battle to represent Guernsey in a national competition - and there's plenty of talent out there,

as Zoe Ash discovered ONE has worked in a Michelin-listed kitchen, another is already an accomplished cook at home, dishing up meals for all the family. But whatever their credentials, this group of local students has one thing in common: bags of enthusiasm and a passion for cooking.

The pressure is on for 11 secondary school pupils, each vying for the title of best young chef in Guernsey - and the chance to represent the island in the UK district finals of a national competition.

Seven girls and four boys from schools across the island will put their culinary skills to the test on 30 November, when they have to produce a three course meal in under two hours - all on a budget of just £14.

Ahead of the competition, which has been organised by the Rotary Club, the students have been learning about food preparation as well as cooking and serving.

The finalists will have to impress a judging panel headed by Steve Scuffle, executive head chef at London's Crown Moran Hotel, in order to scoop the top prize. Government House chef Pippa Ozard and Helen Wood, pastry chef and president of the Rotary's Inner Wheel, will help him.

St Peter Port School is represented by an all-boy line-up with Sam Crawford and Jake de Carteret, both 15. 'I'm interested in food and thought it would be a good way of seeing if I was any good,' said Sam, while busy de-scaling a whole sea bass in the sink. He is studying for a GCSE in food technology.

The £14 limit had proved a challenge, he said.

'I found it quite hard finding the ingredients that I wanted within the budget set.'

He looked through recipe books for inspiration and eventually chose fish, 'because it has fantastic flavour and I like cooking with it'. Sam named Gordon Ramsay as his top chef. 'I like the way he somehow manages to keep some control of his kitchen and make fantastic food.'

Next to him, Jake had a tray loaded up with shiitake mushrooms, broad beans and asparagus for his chicken dish.

'I looked at things I liked and tried to advance them,' explained Jake.

He's keen on cooking but has his sights set on being a photographer when he leaves school.

What had been the most difficult part of the exercise? 'Probably this stage,' he admitted, getting back to work.

Technology, food and textiles teacher Yvonne Browning was supporting two students from Blanchelande.

'We've done this sort of thing before as part of the Salon Culinaire,' she said, explaining that pupils had taken part in a cook-off at the school in order to decide who would represent it in the competition.

'I think it's a good experience.

It's just a shame they can't include more students.'

Fifteen-year-old Francesca Bulpitt was putting together monkfish kebabs with slices of cucumber and lemon.

'I thought it would be a bit different,' she said. But the meaty fish proved a budget-buster: 'I wanted to put prawns on as well but they were too expensive'.

Fellow student Hollie Cluett, 14, had similar problems. For the finals she will cook swordfish, but for the practise run it was tuna. It's quite meaty, like swordfish.

I like fish, it's a nice meal and it's healthy,' said Hollie, as she doused the tuna in lemon juice and olive oil and wrapped it in tinfoil.

She's a big fan of French food and, in particular, French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Sasha Duquemin, 14, was the sole representative from the Grammar School. She was running an amazing 10 minutes ahead of schedule, having already prepared a dill and lime juice marinade for her fish and oven-cooked sweet potato wedges.

'I'm more organised than last time, I have a time plan today,' she said.

Sasha cooks at home, sometimes catering for up to six people.

Her favourite dish? Spaghetti bolognese.

'We watch a lot of the cookery programmes at home. I like Nigella Lawson, she always manages to make up recipes with things you already have in the cupboard,' she said.

St Sampson's pupil Danny Giles, 15, had a head start on the others. This summer Danny had the opportunity to spend two weeks working in the kitchens of two AA rosette restaurant. Through a friend of the family he gained a place at the highly regarded Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, Norfolk. Danny helped out with everything from the full English breakfasts and evening meals to preparation and the washing up and has also had work experience at Da Nello. Pan-fried salmon with mushrooms and mixed greens were on his menu.

'I started gathering recipe ideas together and found it was quite easy to get the ingredients.'

His work experience had really helped, explained Danny, from deciding what to cook and how to combine foods right down to the presentation.

'I've been quite organised,' he said.

Wendy Meade was lured out of retirement to give students from Oakvale a helping hand.

'I've come out of hiding for this competition, to help these two lovely girls,' she said.

I asked her why she thought it was so important for the girls to take part in the competition.

'For all the reasons that are around in the newspapers today. To teach healthy eating, the importance of all sitting around a table together and helping to feed a family on a budget,' she said.

Katie Fallaize, 15, had just put her mini toad-in-the-holes in the oven. She got the idea from her student nurse mum, who makes them at home. With eight mouths to feed in their house, Katie often steps in to help out and cook the dinner.

'I really love cooking and this gives me a chance to do something that doesn't happen every day. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity,' she said.

Katie was one of the few students who opted to use something other than fish for the main ingredient.

'I would have liked to use fish but it's too expensive,' she said. Katie did really well with her money, coming in well under budget at £6.15 per person.

At 16, Lindsey Le Gallais is the oldest competitor. She's a keen chef and helps out with the cooking at home. She also did a cooking course in conjunction with the CFE through her school, spending one morning a week in the catering department.

'The time has gone much more quickly today,' she said, getting stuck in to the washing up.

Although she found the ingredients for her chicken dish 'quite expensive', Lindsey managed to stay within budget.Crystal Simon, a 15-year-old pupil from St Sampson's School, was at a crucial stage of the proceedings and was turning outher timbale of rice to serve with chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce.

'I wanted to prove to myself that I could do more than food technology,' said Crystal, when asked why she had got involved. Time-wise, she finished well ahead of the rest.

'She has a great interest in food and her mum is an excellent cook,' explained Yvonne Simpson, head of food technology at St Sampson's school.

Crystal is keen to use as many local and Fairtrade products as possible.

'Guernsey is quite famous for some of its produce. I'm going to use Guernsey cream or ice cream in my dessert,' she said.

Fifteen-year-old Eleanor Brehaut from Les Beaucamps was dishing up when I got to her and was the only student who had made her dish in one pot: a chicken, squash and new potato casserole. CFE catering lecturer Julie Driver was especially keen on Eleanor's dish.'There's nothing else like it here,' she said.

James Piprell, 15, also of Les Beaucamps, was the only student to use red meat, cooking a fillet of beef that had Julie reaching for her knife and fork. He was holding on to what he called his 'bible': a well-thumbed recipe book by Anton Mosimann.

How had the afternoon gone for him? 'It was a bit hectic rushing around but it wasn't too bad,' he said.

As well as Eleanor's one-pot chicken, Julie singled out several other dishes for praise.

She admitted she was keen on Katie's individual toad in the holes.

'They're a great idea - quick, simple and very effective.'

Danny's salmon dish was also mentioned. 'It looks so clean.

It's something I've been telling them - less is more,' said Julie, who was also pleased with the range of bright colours throughout the dishes.

But other factors are involved.

'I've got to make sure that they are working cleanly and to time,' explained Julie. Cleanliness will be top of the agenda with the judges in the final.

'And while presentation isn't everything, it certainly makes a huge difference.'

Overall, she was impressed with the students' knowledge, not only of ingredients but of processes and offered constructive criticism on how all of them could improve their menus for the final in two weeks' time.

'Some of these are amazing,' she said, looking at the selection of finished dishes. High praise indeed from the tutor herself.

*The winner of the competition will receive the Mike Burbridge Trophy, named after the late Rotarian and States member who ran a successful catering supplies business. Channel Islands Co-op is sponsoring the event and Industrial and Leisure Clothing has provided uniforms.