Nestlé’s Sidhu added: “She was very cool and did not panic; her planning and timing were excellent.

“She scored very high points in taste, which was an area lacking in several comeptitors’ dishes.

“Her fish was cooked to perfection and complemented with a delicious avocado salsa. For dessert she tickled tastebuds with a pineapple tart, which was both tangy and sweet.”

Darwesh herself said the competition this year had been “extremely tough, as there were many good competitors”, but added that she had learnt a lot from taking part the previous year.

“Last time one of my main mistakes was having too large portions on my plates,” she explained. “I made sure I learnt from that and other mistakes, so I won’t make them again.”

According to Darwesh, in addition to being a valuable learning experience, the event also opens competitors up to many new ideas.

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“I am of course familiar with Nestlé products, but this gives you the chance to use them in a way you might not have tried before,” she explained.

“In addition to that, with all the competitors doing different things and using different styles they have learnt in their various hotel kitchens, you see a lot of new things. It’s a valuable experience.”

Darwesh added that she hoped to go on to study hospitality, specialising in cheffing, as well as gaining international experience by working around the world, becoming a renowned chef.

And she’s on the right track, according to Nestlé’s Sidhu.

“This competition really puts the ladies under the spotlight, giving them recognition for their professionalism in the culinary industry,” he explained.

“Success here can elevate their confidence and will give them a big boost to further develop themselves for other competitions like Salon Culinaire, Junior Chef of the Year and Menus of the Masters.”