A SCHOOLGIRL from Byley came out on top in a recent cooking competition against her classmates.

Anna Kingsley, aged 13, took home the much-coveted winner’s trophy and was crowned ‘Star Baker’ following ‘The Great Beech Hall Bake Off’ competition hosted by Beech Hall School.

Inspired by the popular Channel 4 TV show, ten pairs of budding young bakers went head to head over ten weeks in a series of different challenges.

The contest set a tough task, with all bakers donning their oven gloves and aprons to produce dishes from scratch.

Hosted in the state-of-the-art food technology laboratory, the pupils had the valuable opportunity to learn a range of great practical skills, outside of the standard curriculum. The budding bakers were judged on cleanliness and clear-up, overall production and design.

In the all-important final, the students were challenged to create two identical pies. Anna added the finishing touches to the top of her masterpiece with artistic pastry, taking inspiration from the school’s beech tree.

James Allen, headmaster at Beech Hall School, said: “The heat was rising in the kitchen during the grand finale, each team was incredibly passionate about producing the best bake.

“Anna and her partner deservedly took home the gold with their identical pies dedicated to the school, in which her attention to detail was evident. The food was delicious too.”

To find out more about Beech Hall, go to beechhallschool.org