Last call for entries for AFW challenge

The Academy of Food & Wine (AFW) is calling for final entries to its Gastronomy Team of the Year competition, which aims to encourage kitchen and service professionals to demonstrate their ability to work as a team.

Entries will initially be judged on answers to a questionnaire. Successful teams will then send in written submissions with the judging panel looking for diversity in the food and wine matches and the combinations that exist within these products.

The competition will involve each chef and waiter team creating a two-course menu with matching wines from Discover the Origin PDO products.

The chef will be required to outline the ingredients and preparation method for the dishes and the wine waiter to explain the reasoning behind the choice of accompanying wines. Entries will also be assessed on presentation and the theory and reasoning behind why the combination should work.

The closing date for entries is 22 May. To download an entry form visit www.afws.co.uk

Nick Scade, chairman and chief executive of the Academy, explained: "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.

"The most successful teams from around the country will ultimately qualify for what promises to be an exciting 'cook and serve' final at Westminster Kingsway College, London, at the end of July."

The five best teams from each of five regions - South, London, Wales & Midlands, North, and Scotland - will then be invited to compete for the top accolade during a practical 'cook and serve' final on 27 July  at Westminster Kingsway College, London.

The winning team will receive a 10-day trip courtesy of Discover the Origin to the three regions involved including Burgundy, Parma and the Douro Valley to deepen their understanding of the history and provenance behind the products of the campaign.

The 2009 Gastronomy Team of the Year is sponsored by Discover the Origin, a new campaign promoted by a series of major chefs and sommeliers. It aims to educate food and wine professionals nationwide about the provenance and origin of five key European products: Parma Ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Burgundy wines, Port and Douro Valley wines. 

Words: Maria Bracken

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