BETH Collings has never been to India before, let alone cooked there.

But yesterday the 18-year-old culinary student began her bid to be crowned the world’s next cooking prodigy at the Young Chef Olympiad in Delhi.

The Brighton student has studied at Westminster Kingsway College’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts for nearly three years.

Now she will compete against chefs from 59 other countries to prove her culinary chops.

“I’ve worked hard for this,” Beth said.

“The competition gets progressively harder, because in the second round I’ll have to cook two courses.

“If I make it through those two rounds, the grand final is on Sunday.

“Whatever happens, I’m really going to enjoy the experience. I’m a bit nervous but excited too.”

With a tight schedule, long preparation times, and a two-hour flight to Kolkata if she makes it through to the final, Beth will not have much time for sightseeing.

But lecturer Chef Chris Basten thinks she will enjoy the experience regardless.

“I’m immensely proud of Beth for all her hard work and dedication, as well as her skill as a chef,” he said.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for Beth to be representing not just the college, but her country in this international competition.

“I hope she does really well and enjoys the experience.”

“Chef Basten selected me to compete in the competition and has been so helpful,” Beth said.

“He has been helping me work out which ingredients I’ll use for the first round and guiding me though the things I’ll need to do in the competition.”

It will be a tough competition for Beth as she competes with the cream of the crop from Kenya, Cambodia, Bahrain, and more.

And she will have to impress a host of renowned judges including hospitality expert Professor David Foskett, former Savoy hotel chef Anton Edelmann, and Ready Steady Cook chef Brian Turner.

But luckily Beth will have some home support in India: Westminster Kingsway College’s culinary chief Paul Jervis is on the judging panel.

“We are all very proud of Beth for being selected for the Olympiad and everyone at Westminster Kingsway wishes her the very best of luck,” she said.

Tomorrow Beth will find out whether she has made the top ten chefs in the competition.

If she pulls out all the stops, she will fly to Kolkata on Sunday to compete in the grand final.

Last year Malaysian prodigy Lai Jia Yi was crowned best chef.