A Glasgow school girl is in the UK finals of the Future Chef competition.

Isabella Harten, 16, from Jordanhill will be competing against eleven other pupils chef regional finalists from all over the UK in London next week.

Earlier this month, Isabella won through to the UK finals in the Central and South Scotland regional round.

Her winning two course meal was highly praised by the four regional judges, including Gary Maclean, the Glasgow chef who won Masterchef The Professionals title last December.

Isabella’s main course was pan fried haddock with smoked fish scotch egg and a cullen skink rosetto. And her dessert was coconut panna cotta with mango gel, caramelised pineapple, brandy snaps, malibu syrup, chocolate panes and toasted coconut.

Isabella said: “I really love cooking and I enjoy learning new skills in the kitchen.

“I started baking and cooking some years ago with my dad and my gran. They encouraged me a lot.”

Isabella is a fourth year pupil at the High School of Glasgow and currently studying to sit eight SQA National 5s and two Highers in May this year.

She said of reaching the final: "I am very excited about going down to London next week for the final.

"I would love to win, but more than anything I am look forward to the experience. So far I have learned so much from being in the competition.” 

In the UK Future chef Finals, Isabella - and the other finalists - are given a basket of ingredients and have to prepare a two-course meal, main course and dessert, for three people in two hours.

For the main course, the finalists can opt for fish, meat or vegetarian dish.

Isabella has chosen sea bass saying: “I have a preference for cooking fish.

“And I’m now finalising my recipes for the final.

"My main will be seared sea bass with a vegetable mixture of sun-blushed tomatoes, broccoli, wild mushrooms and banana shallots.

“And my dessert will be mandarin tart with elements of raspberry and chocolate."

For the finals, each contestant is linked to a local top chef who acts as mentor.

Mentoring Isabella is the executive head chef at Rangers FC at Ibrox, Jav Aziz.

“Mr Aziz has been amazing and I have learned a lot from him as I prepare for the final,” comented Isabella, adding: “Just spending a day watching him and his team at work in the kitchen at Ibrox has given me many tips and an insight into the hospitality world.

“They make cooking and presentation so effortless and I appreciate the balance of the right flavours and colours to make the perfect dish."

The prestigious Future Chef UK competition is run by the charity Springboard, as part of its nationwide programme to encourage more young people to gain skills in the hospitality and tourism industries.

The Future Chef competition has been running since 1999 and this year a record of over 8,500 youngsters aged 12 - 16 entered in the local and regional rounds.

In the 2017 finals there are twelve finalists, eight from the regions of England, two from Scotland - Isabella from Glasgow High and Amy Campbell from Aberdeen’s Hazelhead Academy, one from both Wales and Northern Ireland.