Cara finds the recipe for success

10:45am Tuesday 27th February 2007

Comments (1)   Have your say »

A budding young cook from Neyland will be putting her culinary skills to the test in a bid to win PRP Training Company's student young chef of the year award.

Sixteen-year-old Carla Allen, of 13 Springfield Close, will be competing in a cook-off against seven other finalists at the Hotel and Catering Show in Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Carla is hoping to wow judges with chicken and mushroom-bean stuffing and a white chocolate truffle torte with raspberry coulis.

She said: "I'm really excited, this is my first big competition, I have only done small ones in the past."

Carla is a student at PRP Training Company's Tudor Lodge Restaurant in Jameston where she is studying for a City and Guild's food studies entry level two qualification.

"Since last year my confidence has really grown and now I feel quite confident in myself cooking," she added.

Carla is also enrolled in a hair and beauty course through the Behaviour Support Service based in Neyland.

Head chef at Tudor Lodge Restaurant, Jamie Bessant, has been impressed by the progress Carla has made since she joined his vocational training class.

The 25-year-old chef said: "We get kids from around the county that aren't doing that well in school, who struggle with reading and writing, and they do better with practical learning.

"This is a really big deal for Carla. She has progressed really well over the last few months and she won PRP company training chef of the year back in January.

"Her confidence has grown loads and her behaviour has changed and she is doing really well."

Carla hasn't decided yet whether she wants to continue training as a chef at PRP's Academy or study hair and beauty.