A TALENTED young Stourbridge chef cooked up a storm to win a spot in the finals of a prestigious contest.

Imogen Hunter, aged 14, tested her skills against five other aspiring cooks at the FutureChef 2017 contest, hosted by the Heart of Worcetershire College.

The Pedmore Technology College student prepared Parisian chicken drizzled with red wine sauce - followed by a berry cheesecake crunch - to reach the competition's West Midlands Regional Final.

She said: "My main dish was inspired by something I tried in a restaurant. I really enjoy cooking and have practised a few times for today.

"I am looking forward to working with a mentor."

Head judge Clive Jones, from Catermasters, said: "The creativity shown by the young students today has been great and all full of flavour. All the dishes cooked today had positive elements and I hope all the competitors keep cooking."

The competition is organised by Springboard, a charity which works with young people to help them build a career in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry.

A spokesman for Springboard said: "Springboard’s FutureChef was developed as a result of research into young people’s ideas about the hospitality industry.

"Research revealed that young people really admire high-profile celebrity chefs, yet surprisingly few genuinely consider a career as a chef!

"Springboard’s FutureChef provides teachers and young people with a wonderful insight into the wealth of career opportunities that the hospitality sector has to offer."

The competition took place on Tuesday, January 10.

The finals will be held at Westminster Kingsway College, in London, on Monday, March 27.