Charlton House has won the European Catering Association's Ready Steady Cook challenge - to find the best fast-cook chef team in contract catering - for the second year running.

Teams from Aramark, Avenance, Baxter & Platts, BaxterSmith, Holroyd Howe and Charlton House all went head-to-head in a 20-minute cook off, which followed the well-known TV format.

In Ainsley Harriott's shoes as the convivial compere was Chris Towler, chef development director of fine-dining at the Eaton Group. As he announced the winners, Towler said: "Overall, the standard was really good. Unless you were up here doing it you don't know how difficult it is."

More than 240 people watched the six teams compete at the Shell International headquarters in London. In the end, it was the Charlton House duo of Adrian Gilmartin and Jamie Higgs that came out on top.

Gilmartin has been with Charlton House for seven years and is head chef of fine-dining at Lovells solicitors in the City. Higgs, a sous chef at the same venue, has been with Charlton House for three years.