A SEARCH for the most talented young chefs and mouth-watering recipes in Worcestershire came to the boil at this weekend's fine food festival.

Jamie Oliver wannabes from schools across the county were asked to design a meal using produce from the two counties and taking into account both cost and nutritional value.

Eighty budding chefs from five different schools went head-to-head in the competition, to design a signature dish for Worcestershire.

And TV star Tony Tobin, a regular on the BBC's Ready, Steady Cook, lent a helping hand to cook both winning dishes at Worcester Cathedral's Heart of England Fine Foods Festival (HEFF).

"We were overwhelmed with the standard and sheer number of entries, and were delighted that choosing the winners was such a difficult task," said Jo Amos, Worcestershire's HEFF project officer.

"The thought and effort put into creating a signature meal was amazing, and seeing their dishes crafted on the culinary stage by one of the countries top chefs was great."

Ten-year-old Nathan John, from St Nicholas CE Middle School, in Main Street, Pinvin, near Pershore, took the Junior Chef title, for 10 to 13-year-olds, with his Worcestershire Trout in Cider and Cream.

Judges were impressed by his use of only the finest local ingredients - a freshly caught trout from Spring Hill Lake, vegetables from his allotment and Herefordshire cider.

The Young Chef winner was Claire Howell, a 17-year-old from The Chase, in Geraldine Road, Malvern, who delighted the judges with a healthy twist on a traditional classic - sausages and rosemary with potato wedges.

Ingredients included herbs picked from her own garden, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and onions bought from Worcester's Farmers' Market and low-fat sausages from Malvern Country Meals.

Both winners were able to cook their meals alongside culinary king Mr Tobin, as well as scooping a £100 book token for their school and a HEFF hamper of food.

One runner-up prize - a food and drink hamper - was also awarded to Gabbie Kinsela, of South Bromsgrove High School.

"We were very impressed with the standard of entry and the hard work the children had put into this project," said Steve Ricketts, economic development officer for Worcestershire County Council.

"They created something that many top restaurants would be proud of."

The other two county schools who took part in the competition were Bishop Perowne CE High School, in Merrimans Road, Worcester, and Hagley RC High School.