A Morecambe school cook is celebrating after winning the Lancashire heat of the School Chef of the Year competition.

Rose Rawcliffe, from Morecambe Bay Primary School, has once again cooked her way to the regional finals later this month.

This annual competition has been the flagship event for school cooks to showcase their professional skills for more than 20 years. It puts to the test all of a school cook's skills, including preparation, cooking and technical ability, creativity and presentation.

The competition aims to show parents the high quality of school meals today and the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of their children, and their physical and educational attainment.

On Tuesday 30 January, Rose will prepare her signature main course of Caribbean pork curry and coconut rice, served with fried bodi, flatbreads and mint raita. This will be followed by coconut panna cotta with tropical fruits and a ginger oaty wheat biscuit to try to win a place at the national final on Thursday 8 March.

Rose said: "I was really nervous about the first stages of the competition and hoping that something wouldn't go wrong.

"I was over the moon when I got through. I'll really focus and do as well as I can when I'm representing Lancashire in the regional finals."

In order to get to the regional finals Rose had to produce a healthy, balanced two-course meal in an hour and a half on a limited budget of £1.30 suitable for serving to primary school children.

The nutritional content of the dishes prepared must comply with the School Food Standards and take into account recommendations from the Eat Well Guide.

Rose's main course won the Highly Commended Award in last year's competition.

County Councillor Susie Charles, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, said: "School cooks face a challenge every day. Their menus have to be varied and interesting as well as being nutritious, balanced and appealing to children, and this curry certainly sounds especially delicious.

"This national competition requires them to cook different typical school meals on a limited budget and against the clock.

"I know that the judges would have had a real job choosing a winner from all the excellent Lancashire school cooks who were competing.

"Congratulations to Rose and I know she will do us proud in the regional finals. She certainly seems to be making a habit of representing Lancashire very well in this competition."

The regional finals will be held at the Wythenshawe Campus of Manchester College.

The winning cook will go through to the national final to be held on 8 March at Stratford upon Avon College.