A BUDDING chef has been selected to represent the borough in the next stage of a top competition.

The Rotary Club of Grays Thurrock in Partnership with the South Essex College (SEC) ran the Young Chef competition at the South Essex College campus in Grays.

As expected, the competition was fierce, and the judges had some difficult decisions to make. Graeme Collie Head of Commercial Catering at the SEC together with his team judged the event.

Each student had to produce a three-course meal costing no more than £20. A detailed menu and a costings sheet had to be submitted before the event started.

At the end of a lot of hard work over a hot stove Amreet Dhillon from Grays Convent was announced as the winner.

Rotarian Corin Whymark said: "I have been watching the students working in the kitchen and am surprised at the high quality of the food prepared".

Amreet will now represent Thurrock at the Essex Competition which is being run early in the new year.