A NORTH Yorkshire woman is in the final of a national cookery competition.

Mother-of-four Irene Bell is one of three finalists in the New Covent Garden Food Company's annual Create a Soup competition, run in the BBC Good Food Magazine.

Mrs Bell, from Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, submitted a recipe for spiced clementine and carrot soup.

Mrs Bell, who started a company teaching cooking to nursery and primary school children, will see her soup sold in shops if she wins.

All three finalists will win kitchen equipment from Le Creuset and have their recipes published in the Good Food Magazine in December, when the winner will be announced.

The theme for this year's competition was Christmas.

Mrs Bell, 54, said: "I was thinking about seasonal produce and initially thought of cranberries, but then decided this was not good idea because they would not be able to test the recipe when I submitted it.

"Then I started thinking of mulled wine and came up with spiced clementine. The carrot helps to bulk it out.

"I've been making soups for so long now it has become second nature to me."

Mike Faers, of the New Covent Garden Food Company, said: "Irene Bell's entry really caught our judges' eyes because of its fresh taste and imaginative use of ingredients. With vibrant swirls of orange and a dash of cinnamon, carrot and clementine soup is certainly one to try."