PUPILS at a North Yorkshire school can be sure their meals are the tops – after their chef was voted the best in Britain.

Kath Breckon, who cooks at West Cliff primary in Whitby, has been crowned as the national champ by the Lead Association for Catering in Education, Laca.

She prepares meals for 140 children each day and has worked at the school for seven and a half years, previously working in local hotels and restaurants after training at Scarborough Technical College.

And after reaching the finals of the School Chef of the Year award on three previous occasions – in 2010, 2011 and 2014 – she has finally triumphed at this year’s competition, held in Stratford-on-Avon.

For her winning dishes, Ms Breckon took inspiration from Whitby. Her main course was St Hilda's spicy beef pot, Caedmon Cross-Bread, Bram Stoker sweetcorn and 199 Steps croquettes.

Her dessert was Dracula's bat-tastic baked lemon cheesecake, a light baked lemon cheesecake on an oat cookie base served with berry compote.

Contestants had a maximum of £1.60 to spend and just one and a half hours to produce a healthy balanced two-course meal comprising of a main course and dessert that would appeal to eleven-year-olds in school.

“I am so proud to have won the national title,” she said.

“With the skill amongst this year’s finalists being so 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.”