Each of the eight finalists won a Jamie Oliver cookbook, personally signed and dedicated to them by Jamie himself, plus £75. Shanice won £150 and a crystal trophy.

The finalists will now all take part in the Mayor of Wandsworth’s Young Chef of the Year 2017 Charity Dinner, which is raising money for children’s charities CCHF All About Kids and Shooting Start Chase Hospice.

The Young Chef competition is run by the Mayor of Wandsworth and the council’s lifelong learning team. It nurtures young talent, teaches young people how to cook good healthy food to a budget, provides a chance to learn from the experts and helps young people get a foothold in the catering industry.

Support for the competition was being provided by the South Thames College catering school and catering company Compass, which has been involved with the competition since it launched in 2013. Chefs from Compass judged the final, overseen by executive chef at Compass, Nick Vadis.

The Mayor of Wandsworth, Cllr Richard Field, said, “Each year I think the standard can’t get any higher, and each year it does. As well as giving these young people a chance to hone their skills and show us what they can do, the Young Chef competition enables the borough’s young people to find out if professional cooking is for them."

If you are interested in attending the Mayor’s charity dinner, call 020 8871 6604.