Pasta disaster puts Lancashire landlady in running for UK's worst cook award

Many of us have had the odd kitchen nightmare.

But one Lancashire gran is in the running to be named the UK’s worst cook thanks to her cooking disasters.

Sylvia Gill, a landlady from Chorley, put her culinary skills to the test with amusing results as she attempted to cook a simple pasta bake recipe.

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The story unfolds as the aspiring chef entered a photo of her chilli and bean pasta bake into the ‘foodie faux pas’ photo competition launched by tastecard, the UK’s largest dining club, to find the nation’s most disastrous cooking catastrophes.

Sylvia submitted an image of the quick pasta bake dish she was trying to create after looking after her grandson all day. The simple, no-fuss supper didn’t quite go to plan, as she fell asleep and woke up two hours later to the smell of burning.

The 56-year-old said: “Smoke was coming from the oven door and I had to open all the windows. I am usually a very good cook and like to experiment with different dishes.

“I haven’t had a cooking disaster since this experience – I can’t afford to keep throwing food and baking trays in the bin.”

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She’s now in the running for the dishonour of being named the country’s worst cook.

She’s up against a host of other cooking disasters, including a 36-year-old mum from Manchester’s desperate attempt at making a gingerbread house and a 36-year-old recruitment consultant’s exploded casserole.

The lucky competition winner will receive a £200 Prezzo voucher and a year’s tastecard membership, worth £79.99.