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Beverley Paterson, from Churnside Primary School, Scottish Borders, beat school cooks from across the UK to be crowned the winner of the first ever McCain Simply One Pot Meal Competition.

Beverley’s Leek and Mustard Vegetarian Hot Pot stood out from the crowd and impressed the judges at the final cook off at Eckington Manor, Worcestershire, on May 28th.

The nationwide competition challenged school cooks to put their culinary creativity to the test and create their own one pot recipe. As the name suggests, each recipe had to be cooked in one pot and balanced with protein, vegetables and a McCain Simply potato product.

Five finalists were chosen to cook their dishes for a panel of industry expert judges, including Anne Bull, former LACA Chair and Head of Catering and Schools Facilities Services for Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, McCain Development Chef for education, Adele Procter, and Judy Gardner, founder of the Eckington Manor Cookery School.

Lisa Michelle Morris, from Manor Longbridge Primary School, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, was highly commended for her Sweet and Spicy Turkey Tagine recipe.

Judge Adele Procter, said: “The standard was fantastic but Beverley’s recipe just had the edge. She had really considered all aspects of the dish, using her experience to incorporate flavours and textures she knows are popular with pupils. She also made sure that she met all the nutritional guidelines and went one step further by making the recipe gluten and salt free.”

Beverley said: “I still can’t quite believe I have won! There was some tough competition as all the finalists’ recipes looked fantastic. One pot recipes work really well for us so we will be trying all of them on the menu at school.

“It has been great fun getting involved and I would really recommend that school cooks enter next year. It’s a chance to get creative, meet cooks from around the country and pick up lots of small tips and tricks that make a big difference to day-to-day service.”