THE canned saviour of culinarily challenged teenagers has been stricken from the menu at the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE.

Not a solitarily baked bean slipped through the cracks when students competed in today's Darling Downs Interschool Culinary Challenge final.

A group of 24 of the region's finest young cooks competed for honours in the internationally recognised competition.

Their brief was to prepare victual masterpieces for a panel of highly-experienced judges.

Australian Culinary Federation president Bruno Gentile said they did not disappoint.

"The standard has been exceptional," he said.

"They have thought about everything from great flavours and cooking techniques to presentation."

St Saviour's College students Jacinta Hoffman and Jessica Crick breathed a sigh of relief when their meal was finally on the table.

They did not hold back, presenting judges with a restaurant-quality lemon and oregano chicken with toasted walnut cous cous and a beetroot, pear, carrot, snow pea salad with a Greek yoghurt and lemon juice sauce.

Their biggest challenge?

"My hands kept shaking when we were plating up," Ms Crick said.

"My dad loves to cook so I think I've got his genes.

"I might kick him out of the kitchen next time we have dinner."