Cooking their way to the top: Independent/Le Cordon Bleu cook competition.

THIS week we name the lucky few who have cleared the high hurdle to reach the final of the Independent/Le Cordon Bleu cook competition. Nearly 150 of you sent in imaginative and thoughtful menus to feed our judges on a May evening. Joanna Blythman and Sophie Grigson, our food and cookery writers, selected those they felt were most seasonal, most original and had the most integrity. Commiserations to those of you not on the list - please try again next year.

Congratulations to the following people whom we look forward to meeting on Thursday 20 May: Gillian Stallard of Kirtlington, Oxford; Joanna Kjaer of Cambridge; Adele Little of St Margaret's, Twickenham; Frank Maltby of Melksham, Wiltshire; Veena Tiernan of Clophill, Bedfordshire; Ben Baglio of London W12; Gabrielle Page of Shenfield, Essex; Claire Ketteman of Oakworth, near Keighley, West Yorkshire; Elaine Bates of Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire and Priya Wickramasinghe of Lisvane, Cardiff.

All will receive written details of the arrangements for the final from Le Cordon Bleu. They can also look forward to a first-class dinner at Les Saveurs in Mayfair, London.