Having impressed judges - including head chef of Lima restaurants, Jose Souto, MasterChef finalist Juanita Hennessey and food writer Xanthe Clay – Maton will undertake training with Peruvian chef and restaurateur, Virgilio Martinez in Lima (Peru).

Her menu comprised a ceviche of scallop starter; seared pork fillet with sweet potato and chickpea stew main; and a white chocolate and maca parfait with brazil nuts, salted caramel popcorn and
blueberries to finish.

She said: “When starting my research on Peruvian cuisine, I soon realised what a wide variety of beautiful ingredients Peru has to offer. The competition allowed me to experiment with new ingredients and to create a menu that I felt represented Peruvian food in a unique way.

“On the day of the competition, my timing and organisation skills were challenged but overall, it allowed me to express my natural passion for cooking.

“I’m extremely excited to visit Peru - not only to extend my knowledge and interest in the country’s natural treasures but also its rich culture.”

Launched to encourage UK students and chefs to learn about Peruvian ingredients and flavours, the final saw six chefs under the age of 25 go head-to-head showcasing their use of Peruvian superfoods.

Director of the Peru Trade & Investment Office, Jaime Cardenas, commented: “The competition will educate tomorrow’s top chefs about Peruvian ingredients and cooking with the aim of providing inspiration for their menus, and increasing demand for Peruvian products into the future.

“We want to show the next generation of UK chefs what the excitement about Peruvian cuisine is all about - and teach them about the many fantastic ingredients and flavours that come out of Peru.”