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Open to all 350 Mellors units across the North of England and Midlands, the competition encouraged 2,000 staff members to take part and showcase their culinary skill. After local and regional heats, five finalists were revealed to compete in a live cook-off against the clock.

The four other finalists were Mark Renton from George Stephenson High School, Guillaume Jayet-Laraffe from Hungerhill High School, Julie Clarke from Holy Cross High School and Marc Bennett from Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy.

Sponsored by Unilever UK, the competition tasked entrants with creating a main course and dessert centred around the theme ‘From Past to Plate’. This theme highlights Mellors strong family values and celebrates recipes passed down through generations, evoking special memories and bringing people together.

Mounia’s main dish was bourak, a traditional Arab pastry filled with spiced meat and encased in delicate pastry, a recipe handed down from her grandmother. This was paired with an authentic couscous and a selection of traditional Algerian sweet and spicy sauces. For dessert, Mounia served a Sweet Orange Moskotcho, a light and fluffy apricot sponge, another recipe passed down through generations in Algeria.

Commenting on the win, Mounia said: “It is a favourite of my family and friends, here and at home. The experience has been absolutely wonderful, I still can’t believe I won.

“The Golden Whisk competition has taught me to never give up and keep striving to the end. To potential entrants for next year my advice is to just go for it. Participating in this competition is a fantastic opportunity. If you have a passion for food, I highly recommend it.”