Dunclug student in Sixth Form Survival final

Joanne entered her recipe for chilli beef and pitta pocket online and fought off stiff competition to win one of only five finalist places in the grand final which will be hosted by celebrity chef James Martin at the Ulster Museum on March 23.

The purpose of the ‘Sixth Form Survivor Competition’ is to bring the Food Standards Agency ‘Survival Guide To Food’ to life and encourage sixth form students to learn how to cook and help to communicate important messages such as how to eat healthily on a budget, what to eat during exam time and basic hygiene information.

During the live final Joanne will compete against the other finalists in a range of food related challenges while her classmates cheer them on.

At the end of the event, judges will announce the winner of the ‘Ultimate Sixth Form Survivor’ title.

The winner will receive 1,000 of home economics equipment for their school, 250 Clockwork Orange vouchers and a bespoke award for their school.

The four runners up will also receive 50 Clockwork Orange vouchers along with a school award.

Elaine Donaghy, Communications Manager, Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland, said: “We have had a fantastic response from students all over Northern Ireland who have been busy practising recipes and entering them online.

“Joanne has done really well to make it to the final as we had a very high standard of recipes to judge from.

“The grand final with James Martin promises to be a fantastic event bringing together the five best ‘Sixth Form Survivors’ in Northern Ireland and their classmates to compete in a live challenge which will be great entertainment and will also determine our ‘Ultimate Sixth Form Survivor.’

To view Joanne’s recipe and those of the other four finalists, or for more information on the ‘Sixth Form Survivor Competition’ log on to www.food.gov.uk/survivor.