COOK Maureen Deans was named as the best school chef in the region yesterday.

Ms Deans, 53, who prepares meals at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Jarrow, South Tyneside, won the Local Authorities School Chef of the Year award for the North-East and Scotland.

Her two-course meal, prepared on a budget of 80p, defeated competition from five other cooks, including Margaret Campbell, from Oakley Cross Primary School, West Auckland, County Durham, and Alison Crossan, of Harewood Junior School, Stockton, Teesside.

Ms Deans impressed the judges, led by chef Eugene McCoy of the Cleveland Tontine restaurant on the A19 in North Yorkshire, with her spicy chicken with Mediterranean roast vegetables, followed by chocolate orange duet.

"A lot of people don't realise how good the standard of school meals is now," she said.

"Gone are the days of lumpy custard and lumpy mashed potatoes."

Ms Deans goes forward to the national finals of the Nestle sponsored competition, which are to be held in Birmingham next March.