The 13 pupils from eight schools had one hour to produce two burgers, one for the judges and one for display. They were vying for the chance to represent the region at the national final.
While years 9 and 10 pupils were restricted to using mince in their creations, years 11, 12 and 13 pupils could use any beef or lamb product as a base.
They came up with offerings such as coffee break (beef with a touch of garlic, chilli and espresso), Mexican wave (crushed corn chips, taco seasoning and refried beans) and voila gourmet (a combination of honey-garlic patties with avocado).
Beef and Lamb New Zealand nutrition manager and judge Fiona Carruthers, who is based in Dunedin, said it was great to see the pupils' creativity.
"We looked at some of the ingredients and thought, `That's going to be interesting'." However, two St Hilda's Collegiate, Dunedin, pupils who "stuck to the basics" won both sections of the competition.
Molly Stewart won the junior section and Kate McDonald the senior section.
The junior competition was very close, but Kate's lamb and rosemary burger with a beetroot sauce was a "standout", Ms Carruthers said.
"As soon as we tasted it, we all thought `Mmm, yup, that's the one'."
Both girls will compete in the finals in Auckland on October 3.
