The deadline for the 25th Annual Awards of Excellence organised by the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) has been extended to 14 December.

The deadline has been shifted after problems as a result if the recent postal strike.

Camilla Warr, event co-ordinator for the ACA, said: “Lots of application forms went missing in the post, so we had to send out another batch.”

Founded in 1983, the awards can be entered by anyone who is aged 20 to 26 years-old on 31 December 2007, and currently working full time in the UK as a chef, pastry-chef or waiter.

Candidates are judged for various skills, depending on the category they enter. Waiters are tested on service, and chefs on cooking skills and recipes, while pastry chefs need to produce four items that tie in with the seasons.

Entrants will compete in semi-finals in February next year with finals in April.

Winners, announced in July, will receive a diploma, a chef’s jacket or badge, a magnum of Champagne Mumm and a cash prize up to £2,000.

For further details and application forms please contact Camilla Warr on: 020 8673 6300 or at camillawarr@academyofculinaryarts.org.uk

Academy of Culinary Arts website >>

Academy of Culinary Arts announces Awards of Excellence achievers 2007 >>

By Tom Howard

E-mail your comments to Chris Druce here.