Brakes Student Team Challenge open for entries

Young chefs are being invited to enter this year's Brakes Student Team Chef Challenge, now into its 17th year.

Run in conjunction with the Craft Guild of Chefs, the competition is aimed at teams of student chefs studying at NVQ levels two and three and is an opportunity for them to showcase their culinary skills.

From the paper entries, short-listed entrants will be invited to attend one of five regional heats where they will compete in a live cook-off. They will be judged on their regional menu, taste, presentation, teamwork, seasoning, culinary skills, working methods and overall balance.

The heats are broken down into five regions: Scotland, Wales, Northern, Central and Southern. Each team put through from the paper entries will consist of three members and they will be asked to prepare, cook and serve a regional three course meal for four covers in just one hour 45 minutes.

The paper entries require each college to choose a menu synonymous with their region and give reasons why they chose it. The colleges with the most interesting ideas and persuasive arguments will be short-listed through to a regional cook-off. All paper entries must be received by Brakes by 30th October.

The winning team of each regional final will be put forward to the grand final at Hotelympia. Regional finalist winners will each receive £75 worth of Brakes Catering Equipment, and the lecturers who help guide their team to the grand final will receive a bottle of champagne and a chef's jacket.

Martin Bates, chief executive officer of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: "We are delighted to be involved once again this year.  This competition has always been seen as the best all-cookery competition specifically for students in the UK and is a great opportunity for the young chefs that take part to grow their confidence as well as improving their organisation, timing and precision.

"We look forward to receiving this year's entries and would like to thank the college lecturers themselves, for all their hard work and dedication in helping their students prepare for this fantastic competition."

Words: Maria Bracken

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