Sophie produced a stunning mackerel dish which included; pan seared mackerel, horseradish cream, beetroot relish, white chocolate crumb, pickled apple and pickled mackerel, followed by a mango soufflé and mango and lime coulis.

Braedon created a smoked salmon ravioli with courgetti and a beau blanc, followed by a chocolate soufflé and orange crème anglais.

Judges from HIT Training scrutinised their dishes in great detail, and passed on comments such as “this is restaurant quality”, and “we would happily pay for this dish in a restaurant”. The pressure was on Sophie as she won the school and local finals last year, meaning she would be defending her title this time around. Unfortunately though, neither students were able to win, narrowly missing out on first place.

They should feel incredibly proud of themselves though for being able to produce such outstanding dishes at such a young age. Sophie isn’t able to re-enter next year due to the competition age restrictions, Braedon however will have the opportunity to take part again, and we look forward to seeing what he will produce.