Deadline extended for National Chef of the Year competition

As the closing date looms for the National Chef of the Year 2010 competition, the Craft Guild of Chefs has put out a last call for entries.

The deadline for entries to the prestigious competition is Friday 16 July.

Now in its 20th year, the prestigious biannual competition has helped the careers of some of the UK's best known chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Eyck Zimmer and the incumbent Simon Hulstone, chef patron of the Michelin-starred Elephant in Torquay, Devon.

As a result of changing consumer tastes, this year's event sees the launch a new format which encompasses the following categories: Asian/Oriental; Modern British/Irish; European, Central and Eastern, Scandinavian and Mediterranean); and African, the Americas and Australia.

Each category features a well-known ambassador to head the judging panels including Cyrus Todiwala, Café Spice; Atul Kochhar, Benares; Peter Gordon, Providores and Angela Hartnett, Murano and York & Albany.

Hartnett said: "I am delighted to be judging Chef of the Year. It allows chefs from all sectors the chance to really showcase their talent. It would be really great to see some women competing in the final this year."

The culinary competition, open to all chefs over the age of 23 from across all sectors of the hospitality industry, will culiminate in a final to be held at the Restaurant Show in London on 11 October 2010.

David Mulcahy, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs said: "I have been organising this competition for a number of years now and I can honestly say that the calibre of entries we receive gets stronger and stronger.

"If I could give one piece of advice to a potential entrant to the competition it would be to be confident and believe in the entry they're compiling."

For further details, contact Clair Bowman on 01293 610329 or visit www.therestaurantshow.co.uk

New categories added to 2010 National Chef of the Year competition >>

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By Janie Stamford

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