Ready, Steady, Cook! Girlguides' cook off proves a delicious success!

Guides and Rangers from across Girlguiding Lancashire East gathered at Oakhill College, Whalley, for an exciting outdoor gastronomique event.

The 114 participants were split into teams of two or three and provided with a limited range of food items. Each team was expected to prepare two appetising courses of food cooked on

lightweight outdoor burners.

Participants brought a limited number of utensils and these were supplemented from a central stock with more plates, sharp knives, colanders and garlic presses readily available. A

store larder was provided to supplement the foods given in each bag. It was here that such precious items as chocolate, cream, herbs, spices, biscuits and marshmallows were located. Experienced camp chefs were on hand in each cooking zone to suggest and advise on cooking techniques, flavour combinations and basic skills including peeling and chopping onions.

Judges from Girlguiding and Tesco, who provided the food, tasted every dish. To determine the winners, teams were marked on presentation, flavour, palatability, and innovative food combinations. Whilst the judges discussed each dish, the teams cleaned their cooking areas and scrubbed their stoves ready to return them, like new, to the units that loaned them. The organising team would like to thank all those units that provided the burners for the day.

After much deliberation a team from St Leonard’s, Padiham won best main course, and St Mary’s, Oswaldtwistle, won best dessert in the Great Lancs East Cook Off!