Naomi from Ceara School was the cream of the 12 finalists in the ‘Masterchef’ style final at St Pius X High School, Magherafelt last week.

She had to take inspiration from wonderful, exotic foods around the globe to plan a healthy, value-for-money two course meal for friends demonstrating her nutritional knowledge and skills in the kitchen.

Naomi, whose winning recipe was for creamy chicken curry with boiled rice and Irish naan bread, was judged on her performance by a team of judges from the Health Promotion Agency, Northern Ireland Schools Catering Association, the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in Northern Ireland (CCEA) and Personal Development and Home Economics NEELB.

Naomi was the winner in the Special Education entry category.

This year’s Young Cook competition was open to all schools and colleges in Northern Ireland. The competition was endorsed by the CCEA.