The Kent Young Chef Award 2010 is set to sizzle on Friday, November 26, when eight talented young chefs from across the county line up for the Live Cook Off at Thanet College.

The countywide competition, hosted by Produced in Kent, will be covered live by kmfm DJ Johnny Lewis, as he reports for the Myma Seldon show from 10am to 3pm.

Competitors will have two hours to transform their written recipes into a mouthwatering main course, featuring Kentish ingredients and seasonal produce, which are championed by Produced in Kent year-round.

The eight finalists will cook in front of an audience and the judging panel, including celebrity chef Richard Phillips from GMTV and Ready, Steady, Cook. Completing the panel will be Claire Wood, head chef at Woods Restaurant, Produce Store and Bars in The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells.

Some 66 recipes flowed in to the competition hotdesk, from all over the county and from 28 schools. The judges were faced with the difficult decision of choosing just eight finalists from what was described as a "very high standard and level of originality".

Woods Restaurant's Claire Woods said: "The standard at the top of the competition was extremely high and with so much creativity and imagination, it was a difficult call to pick out just eight recipes.

"Richard Phillips and I were particularly impressed to see young people creating interesting game recipes using pheasant, wild rabbit, pigeon, venison and guinea fowl, all of which are local to Kent and extremely seasonal. It's going to be very exciting to see the final recipes being cooked and presented at the Live Cook Off - I can't wait!"

The event is sponsored by Hadlow College, frozen food company kff and Woods Restaurant with the media support of the KM Group.

In the Junior category, the 2010 finals see the return of two of last year's competitors Lana Foyle, of Ashford School, and Alice Browning, of St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School in Chatham. Alice went on to win the Kent Young Chef Award 2009 in the Junior category so will be hoping to retain her crown.

Newcomers to this section include Sophie Buck from Ashford School and Thomas Perkins from Holmesdale Technology College, Snodland, with his Gamekeeper's Supper featuring pheasant from his father, who is a local gamekeeper.

In the Senior category, newcomers Ryan Whiting and Ellie Smith will compete from The Towers School & Sixth Form College in Kennington, together with Alice Baddeley from Combe Bank School, Sundridge and Steven Yap from The New School at West Heath, near Sevenoaks.

Follow the live cook-off action with Johnny Lewis as it unfolds on Friday, November 26 on the Myma Seldon show from 10am to 3pm on kmfm

THE MENU FOR KENT YOUNG CHEF AWARD 2010

Senior category

Alice Baddeley: Venison fillet with parsnip bonfire and popping pumpkin seeds

Ellie Smith: Slow-roasted Challock pork belly, with homemade braeburn boudin, voisin potatoes and spiced red cabbage, dressed with Kentish perry cider sauce

Ryan Whiting: 'Down the Road' organic pan-roasted, marsh-fed cannon of lamb, served with a mini Kentish moussaka and caper and mint jus

Steven Yap: Ballotine of guinea fowl and duxelle stuffing with spinach tagliatelle, chestnut puree, Chanterelle mushrooms and bacon

Junior category

Alice Browning: Pigeon with blackberry sauce

Sophie Buck: Guinea fowl fricassee with pumpkin mash and dwarf beans

Lana Foyle: Wild rabbit casserole with Kentish white wine with potato pie and pan-seared Brussels and bacon

Thomas Perkins: Gamekeeper's supper (pheasant)