There was no Gregg Wallace or John Torode to judge when sixth formers at St John’s School in Marlborough held a cookery competition but the event still had all the tenseness of a TV Masterchef show.

The contest finals held at the school featured Year 12 food technology students competing to see whose recipe would be chosen to appear on the menu at Brasserie Gerard in the High Street in Marlborough.

Overall winner Claudi Sawbridge, 17, took home the prize of a meal for four in the restaurant, an engraved professional chef’s knife and a week’s work experience in the restaurant kitchen. Her prize-winning dessert was a chocolate and orange flan.

Fourteen students took part in the competition and six prizes were awarded; a winner and runner-up for the starters, main courses and desserts, each receiving vouchers for meals in the restaurant.

The winning recipes will now become the first St John’s ‘specials’ to be served in the restaurant and it will make a donation to St John’s for every special ordered, continuing the restaurant’s commitment to support the school.

The panel of judges included the executive chef of the restaurant group, Matt Goussaer, the manager of Marlborough Brasserie Gerard Duncan Frankham, St John’s headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood and the school’s director of technology Sue Watson.

Dr Hazlewood said: “I am proud of the high quality of the dishes produced by our students, and the food was delicious.”