CULINARY experts have been dishing out the praise to four would-be chefs from Teesside.

Angus Ritchie, Paul Donoghue, Sam Dobson and Stacey Vint, have been hailed by a national panel of judges as "natural born chefs".

The four won a trophy at the World of Food cookery competition, hosted by Thames Valley University, in London.

They won the Less Dough Award, after preparing a high-nourishment, low-calorie meal for four people, for less than £20.

One of the judges, BBC presenter and Michelin Star chef Paul Merrett, said: "I was so impressed with the creativity and quality of the food that was produced, and the professionalism which the young people displayed when working in the kitchen.

"The standard was up there with professional cooking competitions I've judged in the past, which for young people, who are fairly new to cooking, was a fantastic feat."

What makes the praise particularly sweet is that not only are 20-year-old Angus, and 15-year-olds Paul, Sam and Stacey virtually new to the world of cooking, but they entered the competition representing the Middlesbrough-based charity, Fairbridge Teesside.

This group works with young people who find themselves struggling with problems, ranging from youth unemployment to juvenile crime, drug addiction and homelessness.

Their recipe for success was butternut squash curry soup, followed by turkey parmesan, with dry roasted potato wedges, and salad, finishing off with a choice of apple crumble and custard or banana or strawberry smoothie.

Stacey said: "We focused on value for money from the start, so it was great we won that category. The kitchen we used was very small and it was hot work, but it was loads of fun."