Years of helping her mum cook dinner and bake cakes has paid off for Orange High School student Chloe Davies who will represent the region in this year’s finals of the Worldskills hospitality division (commercial cookery) to be held in Maitland on May 21.

“Mum has always been a really good cook, so I’ve watched her over the years,” said Davies.

The year 12 student, who takes Worldskills studies as part of her course load, beat other local would-be chefs in the Worldskills regional finals, and will now join eight students from all over NSW in a set menu cook-off.

Ms Davies and the other competitors will each prepare a pre-determined three course meal for four people. The competing students will be asked to make a frittata with a mesclun salad, whiting filets with hollandaise sauce and a white chocolate and raspberry mousse served with King Island cream.

Ms Davies, with the support of her teacher Karen Pickering and fellow student chef Danielle Ford, has been preparing for the competition by cooking the set meal for family and friends.

Ms Davies even served the meal to a number of special guests, including Orange Major John Davis at a special lunch at Turners Vineyard, who donated the venue for the event.

Despite excelling in the competition, Ms Davies is unsure whether she will have a future career as a chef.

“I’ll wait and see how I feel after the competition and when I’ve completed my HSC,” said Ms Davies. Ms Davies attributes the support of Mrs Pickering, the help of experienced local chef John Olewitz, Ms Ford and her mum for getting her this far.