A 23-year-old chef from Coulsdon has won a silver medal in a national cookery competition and was presented with her award by celebrity chef Brian Turner from television's Ready Steady Cook.

Jessica Hunt, a Charlton House pastry chef at the Civil Aviation Authority at Gatwick Airport, won second place in the plated dessert category of the Charlton House Salon Culinaire competition.

The awards took place in Maidenhead, Berkshire on October 16 and were presented by Mr Turner and Robyn Jones, chief executive of Charlton House. Charlton House, a contract catering company, held the competition to give more recognition to their staff's creative skills and it attracted more than 60 entries.