Win a two-night break in Stockholm courtesy of Essential Cuisine

Here's a stock that could bring you a big return. Essential Cuisine is offering one lucky Caterer reader a trip for two to the Swedish capital.

The food safety implications of producing cooking stocks in the traditional manner, not to mention the cost and time involved, mean that stockpots are not an option for many chefs.

This is why ready-prepared stocks have gained such a dominant share of the catering market. They can deliver flavour redolent of kitchen tradition with the safety and practicality that busy kitchens need.

Essential Cuisine has added three new stock mixes to its line-up: Light Vegetable, Roast Chicken and Cheese. The easy-to-use stock powders have a clear appearance, no added MSG or preservatives, and a 12-month shelf life, with no need to refrigerate after opening. Colour-coded packaging also means they are easily recognised in a busy kitchen.

To celebrate the launch of the new trio of stocks, Buy It! has teamed up with Essential Cuisine to offer readers the chance to win a two-night break in Stockholm.

HOW TO ENTER

One lucky reader who can answer the question below correctly will win this amazing prize. All entries must be submitted on a postcard by 15 March 2009. Entrants should include their name, job title, company name and address and contact telephone number. Send entries to Buy It!/Essential Cuisine Competition, Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.

THE QUESTION

Food safety implications mean that many chefs do not prepare their own…

a) stocks

b) desserts

c) vegetables

THE PRIZE

The winner and a guest will be flown to Stockholm for a three-day weekend (two nights) between 19 June and 14 August.

After being collected from the airport by a private guide, the couple will be taken on an orientation tour before arriving at the historic Hotel Reisen in Gamla Stan which has views of the narrow streets and canals of renaissance Stockholm.

Dinner will be served at the atmospheric 18th-century tavern-turned-restaurant Den Gyldene Freden (the Golden Peace), where the couple will indulge in traditional Swedish cuisine with a nouveau twist made with fresh, local produce, accompanied by a personal insight into the country's culinary delights from head chef Johan Johanssen.

On the Saturday you will visit Djurgården (literally, Royal Game Park) - a densely-wooded island which is popular with locals and tourists as it has museums, a zoo, a theme park and much more.

The guide will also take you on to Östermalms Saluhall, the city's renowned food market with an abundance of mouth-watering aromas and atmosphere, where you can see and sample Swedish culinary delights.

Any free time before venturing home on the Sunday (flight time dependant) could be spent taking a boat trip out to the scattered islands of the archipelago or visiting Kungstradgarden with its cafés and pâtisseries.

For more information on Essential Cuisine products call 0870 050 1133 or visitwww.essentialcuisine.com

Terms and conditions

1. This Essential Cuisine prize draw competition is open to professional caterers in the UK only.
2. Employees of Essential Cuisine and Reed Business Information Ltd, their families, agents and anyone else involved with the administration of this prize draw are not eligible for entry.
3. No purchase necessary to enter.
4. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received by the closing date stated.
5. The two-night holiday for two people is subject to availability and must be taken between 19 June and 14. August 2009. It includes return flights to and from Stockholm from London and transfers to the hotel for two people. Airline to be confirmed. Hotel accommodation is on a room-only basis. The prize includes a meal, excluding alcohol, at restaurant Den Gyldene Freden and entry to Djurg†rden. The prize does not include travel to and from London. The prize does not include personal insurance or travel insurance, or car hire. The winner is responsible for ensuring that those travelling arrange travel insurance, passports and travel to and from the departure airport at their own expense.
6. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
7. The publisher's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
8. Closing date for receipt of entries is 15 March 2009.
9. Reed Business Information will use the contact information you provide to communicate with you on behalf of the Caterer Group. We may also use the information you have provided to send direct marketing material from ourselves relating to other products and services that may be of interest to you. Your information may also be disclosed to other companies who wish to send you information about their products and services including our sponsor, Essential Cuisine. This could involve data transfer to countries outside the European Economic Area. For further information and choices please visit our data protection page here or write to us at RBI, Freepost RCC2619, Haywards Heath, RH16 3BR, UK.
10. The winner's name will appear in Caterer and Hotelkeeper and on Caterersearch.com.