ATHLETE Pat Kirby ran away with The Northern Echo Cook of the Year title yesterday.

Pat, from South Kilvington, near Thirsk, was voted the winner of the competition after cooking against the clock and three other competitors, at the Blackwell Grange Hotel, in Darlington.

Pat, a runner with Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, won a first prize of a £1,000 bed from Northgate Bedding Centre, Darlington.

Her meal, carrot and ginger soup to start, chicken roulade with seasonal vegetables as a main dish, and a gooseberry meringue pie dessert was described as "superb" by the judges.

Pat, who works part-time preparing desserts at the Hare Inn at Scawton, narrowly out-pointed West Auckland teacher Kate Bolton, who was awarded the runners-up prize.

The other finalists in the contest, the centrepiece of The Northern Echo Homes and Gardens Event, were Dr Mani Krishnan, from Sedgefield, and Judith Smalley, from Beningbrough, near York.

It was the first time that any of the finalists had entered a cookery competition. Pat said: "Being a keen runner, I'm naturally competitive so the idea of taking part just appealed. I'm delighted."

The judges were: Peter Bell, head of catering and hospitality at Darlington College of Technology; Keith Rogers, general manager of Morrisons store at Morton Park, Darlington; The Baldy Brothers from Century Radio; Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo; and Chris Kay, events manager for The Northern Echo.

Morrisons supplied the food as well as 12 bottles of wine for each finalist. Kate received 24 bottles as runner-up.