Pembrokeshire College catering students turned the heat up to compete for first prize at the Tenby Rotarian Pembrokeshire Chef of the Year competition recently.

Students were presented with a mystery box of ingredients by the two judges - former lecturer Phil Corp and Rotarian Graham Fry.

Students were then required to work to a locally inspired brief using the supplied ingredients - a Welsh starter and main using traditional accompaniments, and a panna cotta with balsamic berries. The task seemed straight-forward enough, but the students were also marked against a detailed criteria, including knife skills, food safety and personal hygiene.

Three hours of real life mental stress and physical toil raised the game of the students, but there could be only one champion!

Judge, Phil Corp said: "The future of catering in Pembrokeshire is in safe hands looking at the quality of work."

All students received crucial feedback; Rhys James from Tenby said: "It was a little stressful at times, but good fun. My ambition is to travel and work in top restaurants, so this was a good sample of things to come!"

Former Tenby hotelier Graham Fry also commented: "Considering the constraints of heath and safety in kitchens today, the students did some fine work."

Catering students Rhys James, Gareth Morgan, Dean Pellington and Josh Evans put up a gallant attempt at competing for first prize, however, third year student Kathryn Penfold swept the board.

This was not the first time Kathryn has been under kitchen pressure, she recently returned from her bursary placement at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Cardiff and has had a college placement at Stephen Terry's restaurant in Abergavenny called The Hardwick.

"I was doing 300 covers per night at Jamie's so I was used to the pressure. The placement taught me a great deal about speed, volume and quality. I am hope to pursue a career in fine dining when I complete my course this summer," enthused Kathryn.