Eight-year-old Thomas Booth cooked up a storm at the Kids Can Cook competition on Saturday at Majestic Square in Whanganui.
His spaghetti bolognaise and chicken curry stir-fry earned him a spot on the national stage.
He was joined by 12-year-old Mikayla Slaughter who took out first place in the second heat with her to die for corn fritter stack and chocolate pudding.
Hosted by NZ Chefs, the competition was all about supporting kids with a passion for cooking and giving them a step up into the industry from a young age. It was also a chance to find the hottest junior chef for 2017.
Thomas, from Churton Park School, and Mikayla, from Whanganui Intermediate School, will join the other regional winners in Auckland for the national competition on July 30.
Thomas said he was feeling pretty confident about the challenge ahead and just loves cooking.
"I cook heaps and usually I just make it up in my head," Thomas said.
In the 8 to 10 year old heat, Samara Wong got second place, followed by Zariah Wong in third place and Ella Sullivan in forth place.
In the 11 to 13 year old heat, John Turner and Ella Linton were an equal second.
They were judged by NZ Chiefs life member, Ken Thomas; owner of Bethanys restaurant in Palmerston North, Reuben Lang Wai; Delicious cafe head chef, Adarsh Kumar; and Whanganui Girls' culinary teacher, Nina Barbezat.