Deadline for Gastronomy Team of the Year competition fast approaching

The closing date for the Academy of Food & Wine's (AFW) inaugural Gastronomy Team of the Year competition is fast approaching.

Those interested in taking part have until next Friday (22 May) to get their entries in.

The competition has been launched to encourage kitchen and front-of-house professionals to work together more closely.

It is sponsored by Discover the Origin, a campaign that aims to promote five European products (Parma Ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Burgundy wines, Port and Douro Valley wines) and is part financed with aid from the European Union, Portugal, France and Italy to flag-up products holding the Protected Destination of Origin (PDO) mark.

Gastronomy Team of the Year will involve each chef and waiter team creating a two-course menu with matching wines from Discover the Origin PDO products.

The competition will culminate in a ‘cook and serve' final on 27 July 2009 at Westminster Kingsway College, London, with the winning team receiving a 10-day trip courtesy of Discover the Origin to the three regions involved.

Nick Scade, AFW chairman and chief executive, said: "The competition is a good training exercise, giving both chef and sommelier the opportunity to work closely together to choose appropriate food and wine pairings and to demonstrate the reason behind their choices."

Contact the AWF on 020 8661 4646 for full details and an entry form or download one here

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By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.

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