A savoury pastry cooked up by a schoolgirl could be produced commercially by a major food company if she wins a national competition.

Joanna Davies, 14, has been shortlisted in Holland's Pies Pastry Challenge for her creation, 'Pasoh en croute'.

The dish takes its name from the first letters of the main ingredients potato, apple, sausage, onion and herbs. "I liked it because it sounded foreign," she said.

She entered the competition as part of her GCSE food technology course at Wallingford School, and hopes to top the 20 shortlisted entries at the final in Baxenden, Lancashire, on February 16.

Joanna, of Blackstone Road, Wallingford, devised the snack after discussions around the kitchen table at home.

She said: "I did some trial runs to perfect the taste and size. Corned-beef and pickle didn't taste so good, so I decided to use sausage meat.

I also had to suggest a logo for the wrapping and a design for the packaging."

If Joanna wins, she will be invited to Holland's Baxenden factory to work with the company's food technologists to produce the pie.