Top gun and topcooks - that'sConingsby staff

Two staff members entered a national competition - Hotelympia 2016, which is the UK’s largest food service and hospitality event, attracting 26,000 visitors this year.

Coningsby’s entrants had spent hours practising and even visited one of the country’s top chefs - Colin McGurran at Winteringham Fields - for some tips.

Senior Aircraftman Danny McKnight, from the Officers Mess, entered the “Contemporary Freestyle Dessert” with his pudding.

The dish included a dark chocolate fondant with a white chocolate, clotted cream and vanilla ice cream. It was finished with a pistachio and raspberry crumb, with pistachio sugar.

Corporal Jess Edwards, who has worked in the Officers Mess, entered the “Cocktail Mixology” category with two of her best entries - Kentucky Mule, which comprises bourbon, ginger and lime and Hedgerow Sling, which includes gin, sloe gin, elderflower and cloudy apple juice.

After the judging, Jess was awarded a silver medal – a terrific result - and Danny a certificate of merit, which is also an excellent result given the exacting standards of the competition and the fact it was Danny’s first taste of a national event.

Danny said: “I loved it and it was good competing against my civilian counterparts.”