After a day of competition in the national final held at the Defence Logistics School in Worthy Down, Hampshire she was named the winner at an awards ceremony last night.
The 47-year-old mother of four said: “I am so proud to have won the national title. With the standard in the competition being so exceptionally high, I felt it was an achievement in itself to compete with such a talented group of people.
“All of this just goes to prove what a good job school chefs do, day in, day out, up and down the country to provide tasty, nutritious meals for millions of children.
“I am fortunate to have a great team within my company and authority, all of whom have backed me and helped me throughout the competition.
“I hope that this achievement will also serve to reassure parents everywhere about the high quality, balanced and tasty meals that are provided, not only in my school, Kings Court First School but across the length and breadth of the country.
“I am looking forward to an exciting year as the new LACA School Chef of the Year 2013”.
Corinne is employed by contract caterer Caterlink working for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead at Kings Court First School in Old Windsor, Berkshire.
Her winning dishes were a main course of poached fillet of pollock with arabic salad and tagine sauce served with coriander and garlic flatbreads, followed by a dessert of Moroccan date and cinnamon cake.
The winner of the Highly Commended Main Course prize was Pamela Jamieson from Cumbrae Primary School, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland for her dish of ravioli with tomato sauce and parmesan breadstick – ricotta cheese-filled ravioli served with a tomato sauce and parmesan breadstick.
The winner of the Highly Commended Dessert prize was Dalila Christopher from St Stephen’s Church of England Primary School in the London Borough of Lewisham for her dish of ginger and orange cheesecake with coconut drizzle.
The Marketing Certificate of Merit went to Isobel Gill, Mobile Primary Cook with Warwickshire County Caterers.
LACA national chair Anne Bull said: “Through LACA’s School Chef of the Year Competition, we can send a clear message to head teachers and governors of all schools, as well as to parents and young people, about how important it is for all schools to adhere to mandatory nutritional standards for food provision.
“Our talented front line staff need their continued support in order to ensure high quality, nutritious school meals as well as tasty, highly creative and appealing dishes.
“These meals can make a major contribution towards altering eating habits, changing diets and decreasing obesity levels which in turn, research has shown, will help children and young people to improve their academic and physical performance.”
Head of food at Nestlé Professional Susan Gregory added her congratulations: “Every year we are impressed by the chefs’ ability to create healthy, nutritious and tasty meals on a limited budget.
“School dinners continue to remain high on the news agenda and LACA School Chef of the Year is an important opportunity to showcase the talent and passion of the people who feed our nation’s children.”
Justin Clarke, food development chef at Nestlé Professional, was chair of judges. He was joined by a professional chef judge (Ross Anderson, Specialist Instructional Officer, Foodservices Wing, Worthy Down), a local authority catering professional (Jacqui Webb, LACA), a leading dietitian (Jasmine Challis, British Dietetic Association), the LACA School Chef of the Year 2012, Alison Gann from Battle, Sussex, and 11-year-old schoolchildren Anna Gurung and William Redding from South Wonston Primary School, Winchester, Hampshire.