WANNABE chefs were challenged to the ultimate taste test – cook up a storm for hundreds of the county’s top restaurateurs.

City of Oxford diploma students cooked for more than 300 guests at this year’s Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards at Oxford Town Hall.

Guests were treated to the three-course gourmet dinner before 13 awards were dished up to the best Oxfordshire eateries at a ceremony on Tuesday.

City of Oxford College student Naomi Kelsey was one of the group taking part. She prepared a beetroot panna cotta with goat’s cheese cream and honey bread. Other dishes included homemade bread and butters, slow roasted shin of beef with horseradish, beef bonbon with fondant celeriac and butternut squash, and a pear frangipani with salted caramel.

Miss Kelsey said: “It is the first time I have cooked more than 300 covers with my fellow students, which is great experience for the future. It has also been an exciting opportunity to impress the top chefs in Oxfordshire.”

The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards, now in its fifth year, aims to recognise and celebrate the excellence of dining across the county.

This year more than 30 organisations were put forward across 13 categories including best traditional pub, best gastronomic restaurant and best Asian restaurant. Among the winners was the White Hart at Fyfield, near Kingston Bagpuize, taking home the Oxfordshire restaurant of the year award and best brasserie/gastro pub.

Kay Chandler, co-owner with husband and chef Mark, said: “We are honoured and excited to receive such amazing awards and we love what we do. We could not have done it without the support of our team that shares our enthusiasm.

“They [students] also did a fantastic job. To get that many plates of food out for people in the industry is a phenomenal achievement.”

Leading up to the awards independent reviewers have been visiting the nominated restaurants – only revealing their identity at the end of the meal.

From these reviews the winners are decided, excluding the public vote award.

Another celebrating its success at the awards is the Yellow Submarine social enterprise cafe in Oxford. The cafe, part of the charity which provide activities for teenagers with learning disabilities, took home the award of distinction.