The last regional final took place today, with Corinne Du Preez, who works at Kings Court First School in Windsor winning the round to claim the last place in the final.

This will take place at Food Services Wing, Defence Logistics School, Worthy Down in Hampshire.

SCOTY, which has been organised annually by LACA for nearly two decades, aims to show the high quality of school meals to parents and the important contribution they can make to not only the health and wellbeing of children but also their physical and educational attainment.

Each entrant is required to produce a healthy, balanced two-course meal of main course and dessert that would appeal to an 11-year-old. They can spend no more than £1.50 on ingredients per person and have 90 minutes to prepare and cook the meal.

Commenting on the competition standard, Justin Clarke, food development chef at Nestlé Professional and chair of the judges said: “I love judging this competition and look forward to it because every contestant really wants the title.

“There’s no doubt that the culinary standard of food, creativity and technical ability has far more imagination than ever before, with many dishes of global influence hitting food trends.”

Anne Bull, LACA Chair says: “Every year a new precedent is set for the next competition. LACA’s School Chef of the Year continues to represent a highly positive way of communicating the benefits of supporting a high quality school meals service in order to help safeguard the health of the next generation.”

The Competition is organised annually by the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) and is sponsored by MAGGI from Nestlé Professional.

The SCOTY 2013 Final Line-up

East Midlands School Chef of the Year 2013
John Morrey,  Sir Jonathan North Community College, Leicester  (Leicester City Council)

Eastern School Chef of the Year 2013
Tanya Watkin, Woodland Middle Academy School, Flitwick, Beds (C Beds C)

London School Chef of the Year 2013
Dalila Christopher, St Stephens C of E Primary School, Deptford (LB of Lewisham)

North East & Scotland School Chef of the Year 2013
Pamela Jamieson, Cumbrae Primary School, Isle of Cumbrae  (N Ayrshire Council)

North West School Chef of the Year 2013 
Mark Holmes, Abraham Guest Academy, Wigan  (Wigan MBC)

South East School Chef of the Year 2013
Corinne Du Preez, Kings Court First School, Windsor (Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead)

South West School Chef of the Year 2013
Steve Spofford, Worle Community College, Weston-super-Mare (N Somerset CC)

Welsh School Chef of the Year 2013  
Susan Owen Jones, Ysgol Y Dderi Primary School, Lampeter (Ceredigion CC)

West Midlands School Chef of the Year 2013
Isobel Gill, Mobile Primary Cook, Leamington (Warwickshire CC)

Yorks & Humber School Chef of the Year 2013
Audrey Harris, St Bede’s Secondary School, Scunthorpe (North Lincs C)