KATE Michaels has won the Rotary South-West Young Chef of the Year title.

She beat off stiff competition from six others from across the region at the event at West Somerset College.

Kate, a student at Queen’s College, Taunton, had qualified through local and district competitions and now goes through to the national finals in Deeside, Flintshire, on April 25, when there will be seven other finalists.

Her winning recipe was spicy parsnip soup with soda bread, salmon with lentils and wilted spinach, followed by lemon and raspberry brandy snap baskets.

Rebecca Cole, head of food and design technology at Queen’s, said: “I am extremely proud of Kate who has done well to get so far in this demanding competition.

“She is very talented and wants to follow a career as a chef after her A-levels.”