Amanda named contract caterer Pride’s chef of the year

An original 15 Pride contestants were slimmed down to the eight finalists who competed on the day. Her winning dish was chicken char siu stir fry with noodles and Asian coleslaw followed by lemon queen of puddings with blackcurrant coulis. Celebrity judge Paul Merrett, a regular guest chef on TV's Saturday Kitchen and resident chef on Sunday Feast, described Pethybridge's dishes as "adventurous, exquisitely presented and delicious to taste". Her achievement is all the more notable because she took time off to have a family and then decided to come back to work at Heathfield School. Since her return to the workplace she has worked her way up through the ranks to the position of chef manager, taking her relevant NVQ qualifications at the same time. Runners-up were Di Spearpoint, group chef manager at Laurel Court, and Derek Whiteman, chef manager at Highview Court, both of which are part of Peveral Retirement Services.