James Sheahan Catholic High School, Canobolas Rural Technology High School and Orange High School competed in a cook-off at TAFE NSW for Rotary Club of Orange Sustainability Living Week.

Each team planned a vegetarian meal using chickpeas as the protein, as well as a meat dish using homegrown pork from Fresh Pastures.

The nine students were given $20 to shop for the two dishes which were judged on quality, taste, presentation, amount of food waste, percentage of local ingredients and sustainability effort, by TAFE NSW’s Michael Apps and The Agrestic Grocer’s Danielle Martin.

Ms Martin announced OHS as the winners for meeting the competition criteria, despite not presenting her favourite dish.

“They nailed it on the written questionnaire and knowledge regarding sustainability,” she said.

“But the dish of the day came from Canobolas High.”

Year 11 Canobolas student Shauna-Lee Finneran-Speechley said she does most of the cooking at home for her two younger sisters and studying Food Technology at school as helped her learn better technique.

TAFE NSW hospitality teacher Amanda Glassop said her and the teachers hoped to provide future opportunities to give students a glimpse of what a certificate in commercial cooking looks like.