A PAIR of secondary school school pupils have reached the final of UK’s Young Pea Chef of the year competition.

Fairfield High School students Joe Watts and Maisie Walker, are now asking for your votes to help them win their school £500 worth of cooking equipment.

The pupils who are both 12 years old have are two of the final 10 entries nationwide.

The recipe competition challenged children in year seven and eight to develop a creative and delicious recipe using peas.

Joe Watts’ recipe was a pea soup with almond and chorizo crumbs, while Maisie Walker’s recipe was for pea, mint and feta ravioli.

They were selected for the final by an expert panel of judges including TV chef Rachel Green.

The next stage of the competition calls upon the public to show their support and vote for their favourite recipe.

Voting is open until June 23.

Maisie Walker, said: “I think it’s important that my generation learn about healthy ingredients, such as peas, and how to cook with them. Peas are an awesome ingredient to cook with, something fresh and they always seem to be in the freezer.

“I’m so happy that I have made the final as it’s an opportunity to inspire others to have a go at cooking with peas. With my dish, I wanted to experiment with something that was a bit different but was still simple to put together - peas and mint are a classic, really fresh, yummy and zingy combination, add the cheese for some creaminess and you have yourself a super simply supper dish.”

Joe Watts, added: "I love my pea soup recipe because it’s got a fabulous taste, it’s easy to make and you can also spice it up if you wish – I hope others like my recipe too!”

To vote, all people need to do is visit the Yes Peas! Facebook page where they will find information on all the finalists and their pea-inspired recipes.