A DORCHESTER student has claimed the top prize in a national cookery competition.

Sixteen-year-old Hailey Vickers impressed the judges in the 2009 Rotary Young Chef competition to take the national title.

Hailey, who lives in Charlton Down and attends the Thomas Hardye School, cooked up a storm in the final of the culinary contest to beat off the other seven regional finalists.

Her three-course meal of pan-seared scallops, lamb roulade and natural yoghurt pannacotta tickled the judges’ taste buds at the final in Hitchin in Hertfordshire.

Hailey said: “I’m so excited about winning, this really means the world to me as my passion is food and I want to follow my dream and do something in the food business when I finish school.

“It’s taken over a month of planning and practising to make sure that my menu was just right, which has been difficult to fit in around my exams.

“But I am delighted that all the hard work paid off on the day against such stiff competition.”

Judge Andrew Parkinson, chief executive of Fifteen London, said: “This year’s competition was certainly fierce and all the finalists cooked to an incredibly high standard.

“However, Hailey really impressed us with her level of skill and the processes she used in creating their winning three-course meal. Overall, the dishes were packed with superb flavours and the judges had their work cut out as it was a closely run competition this year.”

Head judge Diana Anderson, from Filippo Berio, added: “We were amazed by the standard demonstrated by Hailey and the other finalists – I’m sure we’ve seen some of the Jamie Olivers or Nigella Lawsons of the future.”

Hailey is the third Thomas Hardye student in three years to reach the final stage of the competition, after Jessica Holloway and Amy Jones finished national runners-up in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Hailey managed to go one better though and her triumph was all the more impressive considering a total of 4,000 youngsters under the age of 17 entered this year’s competition.

Along with her title she claimed a host of prizes, including a trip for two to Tuscany and a one-day cookery session in the kitchen of the Fifteen London restaurant.

HAILEY'S MENU

Starter

Pan-seared scallops on a bed of spring pea risotto

Main course

Lamb roulade served with olive oil mashed potato, confit tomato and mushroom with char-grilled asparagus

Desert

Natural yoghurt pannacotta served on a bed of rhubarb and ginger compote and light rhubarb consomme