l r sam butler todd wallace lawrenze denton thirasak sutha at springboard futurechef competitionA perfectly-cooked' salmon fillet and a well-balanced' apple crumble has given 14-year-old Lawrenze Denton the chance to represent Northamptonshire in the regional finals of a search to find the nation's top young chef.

The Northampton School for Boys student triumphed in the county heat of the Springboard FutureChef competition, held in the state-of-the-art kitchens at Northampton College.

His main course of salmon with a potato and pea rosti, black pudding and a watercress sauce won rave reviews from the judges, who were also impressed with his apple and cinnamon crumble with custard.