Three top school chefs went head to head at Croydon College to decide who would be crowned the best in London.

Chris Carroll, from Parish Church School, Croydon took on contestants from Edmonton and Lewisham in the regional final of the School Chef of the Year competition.

His super oat-coat chicken and choc-a-beat cake was just pipped to the post by an Olympic-themed entry from north London, featuring a daily discus burger and Olympic gold tart.

Purley schoolchildren Ella Mallozzi and Gianluca Malavasi, both 11, helped pick the winning entry, which came in under budget and was nutritionally balanced.

Winning chef Joanne Stoddart said: “It just goes to show you can produce food on a budget.

“It’s healthy, it’s nutritious, it looks good, and it’s eye-appealing to the children as well.”

Head judge Steve Oram praised the contestants’ ability to create cheap, tasty meals in just an hour-and-a-half.

Miss Stoddart will go on to pit her culinary skills against nine other school chefs from across the country at the national final in May.