A CELEBRITY chef was cooking up a storm yesterday in High Wycombe, while the weather took a turn for the worse.

Jean-Christophe Novelli , who has his own cookery school in Hertfordshire, showed shoppers in Eden Shopping Centre how to cook healthy, yet exciting, food.

The heavens opened while Jean-Christophe was cooking, which hammered down on the roof of the shopping centre outside Starbucks, and made him compete with the noise.

It was part of the shopping centre's food fair, which also had restaurants showing off their goods and giving customers samples.

The Courgettes band entertained with their music and there was also Eden's Great British Bake Off.

Jean-Christophe, who used to live in Chalfont St Giles, said before his cooking demonstration: "It is going to be a taste of what we do in my cookery school, making it as healthy as possible and using some good techniques and how to keep the excitement.

"It will be keeping down the amount of salt, fat and sugar."

He judged the four entries to the baking competition, along with Rebecca Cain from the Bucks Free Press and Janice Raycroft from Buckinghamshire Life.

There were four entries, and after a lot of deliberation, the first prize went to Caroline Rose from High Wycombe with her gluten free mocha marble cake with white chocolate ganache.

She said: "I try to bake as often as I can. Obviously it is not so good for the waist line.

"I cook for friends and family. I find it very relaxing."

The 32-year-old was diagnosed as gluten intolerant six or seven years ago and has gradually become more adventurous with her cooking.

She won a £20 Wagamama voucher, a meal for two at Frankie and Bennys and ten per cent off at L'Occitane.

The other three entries came from Margaret Knox, Naz Mirza and Amanda Brown, who are part of the Bucks group of the Clandestine Cake Club.

They meet every six to eight weeks and share cakes and baking tips.

Go to http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/

Bucks Free Press competition winner Suzanne Clothier from Downley won the opportunity to meet the chef and help him during one of the cooking demonstrations.

Caroline Anderson, from Eden Shopping Centre, said: "All food retailers come out into the walk way to cook recipes and give away free samples.

"It is a foot fall drive. It is also about raising awareness of our food retailers and getting people to try something new.

"It is giving something back to the shoppers and saying thanks for using us."