With just an hour and a half to create a main course and dessert for two, Elicia produced an outstanding plaice ballotine with seasonal vegetables and a mouthwatering brownie to follow.

Before the competition at Crawley College, Elicia was lucky enough to be mentored by the Restaurant Manager from the luxury 5 star Luton Hoo Hotel, who spent three days training her. She even spent a day working with the Head Chef at Luton Hoo, Ruth Hansom, aged only 23, who had previously worked at the Ritz and appeared on the television programme Million Pound Menu last year, securing an investment.

Elicia commented:

“I learnt a lot from the experience including time management, presentation skills, and how to refine a dish, as my main course was originally my Grandma’s recipe. Learning from my mentor and Ruth was so useful, they were particularly helpful with presentation ideas and flavour combinations.

“I think I will now cook to a higher standard more often, and my skills have increased which will be invaluable with succeeding in my GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition course.”

Kerry Irons, Food Technology teacher, added:

“It’s been lovely to see Elicia’s confidence soar. She’s taken everything on board and learnt so much. The opportunity to work with people from the industry has been a real eye opener and she has had a fantastic exposure to fine dining.”