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The nine regional winners and the two wildcard entrants will cook over the course of the two days at the LACA Main Event, which is taking place at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

Organised by the LACA and sponsored this year by Bisto from Premier Foods, School Chef of the Year is the education catering sector’s premier culinary skills competition.

The SCOTY competition aims are to show the high quality of school meals and the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of their children and their physical and educational attainment.

SCOTY finalists cooking on Wednesday 5th July (morning)

East Midlands winner, Lorna Nolan from Breadsall CofE VC Primary School (Derbyshire County Council):

• Main: Derbyshire organic beef casserole encased in Yorkshires with vegetable stack and roasted cheesy cauliflower
• Dessert: Chocolate brownie packed with berries and beetroot, served with an Angel Delight quenelle and berries

North West winner, Paul Hardy from Tarporley High School (Midshire Signature Services):

• Main: Sweet potato and spinach biriyani, coriander and lime pesto, paneer cheese, omelette and poppadom shard
• Dessert: Coconut and cardamom cheesecake, chilled mango lassi, glass biscuits

SCOTY finalists cooking on Wednesday 5th July (afternoon)

North West wildcard, Matthew Bennett from Alsager School (Aramark):

• Main: Tandoori chicken thigh served on spiced lentils with crispy carrot bhajis
• Dessert: Fresh pineapple topped with creamy mango cheesecake and a crunchy coconut crumb

South East wildcard, James Noakes from Maidstone Grammar School (Impact Food Group):

• Main: Pan roast chicken breast with sticky rice and a fragrant Thai broth with crunchy vegetables
• Dessert: Crumble & Melba reimagined with raspberry granola, custard panna cotta & baked peaches and a raspberry gel

Wales winner, Joanne Cox from Ysgol y Graig (Chartwells):

• Main: Moroccan apricot and chickpea ravioli with spiced lentil sauce, lemon and herb ribboned vegetables and coconut peshwari
• Dessert: Layers of berries, fruit jelly and Angel Delight topped with banana ice cream

SCOTY finalists cooking on Thursday 6th July (morning)

London winner, Raheem Morgan from Torridon Primary School (Chartwells):

• Main: Crispy Asian fishcake, carrot and black kale kinpira, edamame bean purée, wasabi mayonnaise
• Dessert: Lime coconut cheesecake, cherry compote, apple and basil

South East winner, Mark Kent from Norton Knatchbull (Impact Food Group):

• Main: Spiced yoghurt marinated chicken, garlic diced potato, red slaw, grilled turmeric flatbread and a tomato salsa
• Dessert: Strawberry Angel Delight, caramelised pastry, raspberry dust, crème patisserie, strawberry cream

Yorkshire & Humberside winner, Kirsty McAndrew from Oakworth Primary School (Midshire Signature Services):

• Main: Soy glazed chicken with egg noodles and Chinese style stir fry vegetables
• Dessert: Banana custard cheesecake layered with homemade granola

SCOTY finalists cooking on Thursday 6th July (afternoon)

East of England winner, Brenden Eades from Felsted School:

• Main: Bollywood style mung bean and lentil dish, bhaji rosti and crisp chapati wrap
• Dessert: A refreshing fruit fool with a citrus jelly top, cheeky cherry bottom and ginger tuile

South West winner, Jennifer Brown from Sarum Academy (Academy, part of Atalian Servest):

• Main: Baked pollock and spinach fishcake, sweet potato fries, crushed minted peas with a tangy curry sauce dip
• Dessert: Choux buns filled with butterscotch and banana, drizzled with chocolate sauce and banana dust

West Midlands winner, Andrew Polymniou from King Edwards VI Aston School (Chartwells):

• Main: Crispy fried chicken thigh in jerk sauce, served with sweet potato purée
• Dessert: Pineapple and toasted coconut mousse with a cheesecake base and mango purée

Premier Foods created a video of the SCOTY 2023 finalists in action

You can register for free entry to the School Food Show to watch the live final take place.