STUDENTS from two Leigh Education Action Zone schools prepared the 'Last Supper' as Leigh College's much-respected restaurant closed its doors for the final time.

Cooking facilities at the Ruskin Suite, a popular local dining spot for almost 20 years, have been transferred to Wigan but youngsters from Westleigh and Tyldesley Kingshill High schools ensured a stylish, lip-smacking finale with a trio of appetising menus as Leigh EAZ and Leigh Rotary Club joined forces for an inter-school cookery competition, supported by the college.

Students from both schools were asked to prepare their carte de jour, then, in one hour, cook and present their three-course meals to a trio of hungry judges: college chef John Morris, Leigh Rotary president Eric Hilton and Leigh EAZ advisory teacher and skilled cordon bleu cook Michelle Silcock.

Winners were Westleigh High duo Laura Nuttall, aged 14, and Jemma Matthews, 13, whose meal -- the Champions ChowDown -- featured Egg Marie Rose cocktail to start, salmon wrapped in bacon slice with minted new potatoes and asparagus for the main course, followed by a delicious Berry Cream Surprise.

The second Westleigh team featured four girls (Rebecca Fern, Chloe Shepherd, Kaylee Surridge and Ashleigh Mercer). The Kingshill team was one of three young men - Jamie Jackson, Bernard Woolsey and David Jones, whose meal was suitably dubbed World Cup Special, and featured a French starter, Italian main course and English sweet.

Happily, the contestants were spared the rigours of cleaning up when four pupils from Westleigh High, Jenny Mercer, Emma Barnes, Gemma Prior and Emma Crosby, who were in an enthusiastic audience, offered their dishwashing services.

Food sampler John Morris said how impressed he was adding that all the meals prepared by the three groups could have been served in any good restaurant.

Students protest at closure - P16.

The audience of Westleigh students was asked to sample the food as the judge deliberated. One of them, however, was slow to come forward: "I'm going to McDonald's later," she revealed...