FURNESS College students Jamie Welsh and Mark Jewula have won the first ever Thought for Food' competition for budding chefs organised by Ulverston restaurant owners Jason and Alison Bright.

The two 17 year olds who cooked a menu which included Lancashire cheese and rocket salad with a pear chilli chutney and pancetta frazzle' and a rum and raisin bread and butter pudding won £100 each and a bottle of Champagne. They beat Scott Littlewood, 17, and Graham Coates, 18, representing Kendal College, but there were only four points between the two teams.

The event - the first of its kind in the area - was sponsored by Cumbria Learning and Skills Council, the Northwest Tourism Skills Network, and Protocol Professional. Several local companies also supported the competition by donating produce for the young chefs to cook.

Judges included John Adler-Connor, head chef at Whoop Hall, who has nearly 20 years experience in the industry; James Brown, a Master Chef of Great Britain and boss of Grange-over-Sands based chef recruitment agency AWOL; and Jason Birkbeck, who was awarded the Restaurant Association's Young Chef of the Year Award in 2001 and was part of the former kitchen team at The Samling, at Ambleside, which earned a star in the latest round of Michelin accolades.

Jamie and Mark's tutor Tony Hodgetts said he was thrilled with their win: "The chefs thoroughly enjoyed the competition and it was a great opportunity for them, for which we would like to thank Rustique. It also gave the college an opportunity to raise the profile of the work we do in our catering unit."