Kitchen whizzes are tops

BEST DISH: St John's College students Daniel Moss (left) and Sam Heaven triumphed at this week's National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Two students from St John's College scooped the grand prize in the final of the National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge (NSSCC) and are on their way to Sydney.

Year 13 students, Sam Heaven and Daniel Moss, collected a Gold Medal for their entree and main dishes after going head to head with eight other regional teams in a high-pressure, live 90-minute kitchen cook-off at Manukau Institute of Technology's Culinary School this week.

Sam, who has competed for two consecutive years, said he was overwhelmed by their win.

"The self-satisfaction is huge. I've been chasing this title for two years and to have finally won is amazing. Each year I've learned so much and put it back into developing the dishes for the next year."

It was a second tilt at the title for Daniel Moss, who felt the journey was almost as good as the win.

"We have constantly been improving our skills, improving our dishes and upping our plate skills. We've changed from a classical approach to this year's modern dishes and innovative presentation which obviously caught the judges' eyes."

Head of Department - Culinary Arts at St John's College, Craig Ireland, said he and the boys are "over the moon" with their win.

"The boys so deserve it. They have worked relentlessly and grabbed every spare moment to practise. Daniel and Sam have come up with their own ideas. They've started from scratch and their creativity and dedication is something to be really proud of. To have finally won is a testament to their passion for cooking."

The team had to produce four portions of entree and main meal in just 90 minutes.

The students and their teacher will go to Sydney for a behind-the-scenes look at the Sydney hospitality industry, dining at high-profile restaurants, visiting some of the city's vibrant food markets and more.