WANNABE Jamie Olivers and Delia Smiths have been rewarded for their culinary expertise in the annual awards ceremony for Accrington and Rossendale College's catering department.

Around 30 students at the college run Horizons Hotel School have been presented with their Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates. These were presented by Margot Clarke, director of the curriculum at the college.

The Bronze Certificate is equal to an NVQ Level 1, the Silver equal to NVQ 2 and the Gold is equal to an NVQ Level 3.

In each category one student was also singled out for a special prize. Paul Smith received £50 from Craig Currie of Frazier Eagle, Steven Evans received £100 from Andrew Libberton of BACTROL, an East Lancashire cleaning company, and Russell Windle was awarded £150 by Stuart Neverson, managing director of The Globe Centre.

Horizons Hotel School was set up in 1996 with initial funding from Single Regeneration Budget funding.

The business incorporates a 10-bedroom hotel, silver-service restaurant, three conference rooms and Traders Brasserie, and is staffed entirely by catering students from Accrington and Rossendale College.

Ian Ross, Head of Horizons Hotel School said, "All these students have worked very hard for their qualifications and and I'm sure they're going to go far."

From January students from Horizons Hotel School will hold careers road shows at local schools with demonstrations to advise pupils on future careers in catering and hospitality at the college.