THINGS are 'cooking' good for Michelle Whittle!

The head cook at Meadowbank county primary school in Atherton has just won the north west regional final for School Cook of the Year.

Michelle was entered in the competition by Wigan council's school meals service.

And Michelle showed she's 'top of the pots' by winning a cook-off in Stoke-on-Trent Catering College.

In front of judges from the college, Stoke-on-Trent local authority catering services, and an impartial culinary expert, Michelle beat off competition from Manchester, Liverpool, Salford and Cheshire.

Michelle's winning menu consisted of:

Pancakes with curried beef filling.

Timbale of Lemon Butter rice.

Stir-fried carrots with sesame seeds.

Batons of courgettes.

Followed by Strawberry and Kiwi fruit Choux buns.

She now goes into a national cook-off in November against regional winners from across the country in Milton Keynes.

Michelle said: "I was really nervous because things can go wrong in the kitchen, especially with something like Choux pastry.

"But on the day I found it all very exciting and everything went just right.

"It is wonderful to have won this heat, and I am thrilled to be representing the borough in the final.

"And on top of all the excitement they gave me a lovely engraved crystal goblet and paperweight, which I have been proudly showing to the children at school."

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