Brentwood School super chef Sarah is Diamond Cook

Brentwood School super chef Sarah Blockley took top honours at the Teflon Diamond Standard Awards 2018 – a national competition for non-professional cooks to showcase their talents.

Fourth Year Sarah was joint winner of the Keen Young Cook Award, which was open to young chefs aged between 12 and 16. Celebrity chef and head judge Lesley Waters praised Sarah on the balance of her flavours and her organisation and focus during the final.

Competing against 11 other finalists, Sarah’s winning dish was raspberry & pistachio friands with a sweet crème anglaise sauce and tart raspberry coulis.

Brentwood School Food and Nutrition teacher Mrs Jackie Franklin, who accompanied Sarah to the national cook-off at the Waitrose Cookery School, London, said: 'This is a fantastic achievement in what is a national competition judged by an elite panel of professional chefs.'

Launched in 2012, the Diamond Standard Awards is a prestigious, well-respected initiative amongst industry leaders. The winners received prizes including cookware and the option of a prestigious three-year Specialised Chefs Scholarship – training to become a fully qualified chef.