A TEENAGER hopes to cook up a treat when she embarks on her work experience with one of the nation's best known cooks.

Laura Davies, 14, a pupil at St John's RC Comprehensive School, Bishop Auckland, decided to go straight to the top when she was seeking a work experience placement.

She wrote to celebrity chef Delia Smith to see if she could do her year ten placement with her and gain an insight into the industry.

To Laura's surprise, the TV personality responded by recommending work experience at Sainsbury's Magazine.

Laura will visit the publication's headquarters in London for a week in March, when she will go on magazine shoots and see how food is prepared for photography.

The aspiring chef will even get to cook in the magazine's office, where she could get the chance to whip up a gourmet dish with Delia.

Laura, who cooks meals for her family at home, said: "I didn't know where to go for work experience, but I like cooking. So I wrote to Delia Smith and a couple of weeks later she replied, saying it was unusual for someone of such a young age to write to her about cooking and suggested I go to Sainsbury's Magazine.

"I'm quite nervous and excited about it all now."