National Chef of the Year
The search for the 2004 National Chef of the Year has got under way with a call for entries for the paper-judging stage of the biennial event.
Prospective champions need to devise a three-course meal for four covers based on specified ingredients for each menu level. The ingredients are pasta for the starter, sea bass for the main and chocolate for the dessert course.
The 40 highest scorers in the paper-judging round will then go on to compete in four semifinal cook-offs at next year's Restaurant Show in September. The winners and the six highest-scoring runners-up will then battle it out for the ultimate title in a grand final on the last day of the exhibition.
National Chef of the Year is run by the Craft Guild of Chefs and sponsored by Knorr. Past winners include Gordon Ramsay and his prot‚g‚, the current holder, Mark Sargeant, head chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, London.
For further information and entry forms call 020 8256 1360. Closing date for entries is 30 April 2004.
Civic Chefs Take Note
If you're a chef working for a local authority and fancy your chances of becoming the Civic Host of the Year for 2004, then now's the time to start thinking about submitting your competition entry. Now in its fifth year, the competition - run by the Association of Civic Hosts and the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) - is asking entrants to create a two-course menu comprising a main course and dessert.
The main course must be centred on beef, pork, lamb or veal, and judges will be keeping a keen eye out for menus using locally sourced ingredients. Points will also be awarded for eye-catching, tasty and economical dishes. Up for grabs is a £500 cash prize.
The deadline for paper entries is 11 January 2004. For more information and entry forms contact the MLC on 01908 844114 or write to the Association of Civic Hosts, PO Box 132, Stockport SK1 3BH.