Culinary kids impress

Hughie Blues announces the winner of Kids Can Cook 2015, 11-year-old Max Donaldson of Takou Bay. His little brother Ben Burges, 7, was second.

A kids' cooking contest which started in Northland 10 years ago has now gone national.

Kids Can Cook, which is contested every November at the Bay of Islands P&I Show at Waimate North, was won this year by 11-year-old Max Donaldson from Takou Bay. For the final round Max made Chinese-style mince dumplings using dough he made himself.

The keen cook also took out the top prize in 2013.

Check out the Kids can Cook photos here:

Image 1 of 8: From left, Paige Naylor, 11, Grant Kitchen (NZ Chefs Association), Yukhta Patel, 8, Max Donaldson, 11, Ben Burges, 7, Hughie Blues (Kids Can Cook founder) and Shane Paraone (NorthTec).

Second place went to his little brother Ben Burges, the seven-year-old making pancakes filled with his own rhubarb compote.

Eight-year-old Yukhta Patel of Paihia came third with a chicken and rice dish, while Kawakawa's Paige Naylor, 11, was fourth with a gluten-free meatball surprise.

All four had made it through the heats, held as part of the show's Northland Food and Wine Festival, earlier in the day.

Kids Can Cook founder Hughie Blues, a Paihia chef, said the contest had now been picked up nationally by the eight branches of the NZ Chefs Association.

The winners in each region, with Max representing Northland, would compete in a national final at the Food Show in Auckland next July. The winner of the first series of MasterChef NZ, Brett McGregor, will be one of the judges.

The judges in this year's Northland event were Mr Blues, Auckland chef Grant Kitchen and NorthTec chef tutor Shane Paraone of Whangarei.

Mr Blues said Ben, who placed second despite being just seven years old, would be a future force to be reckoned with.