Wessex Salon Culinaire is set for a new venue in 2012

The Wessex Salon Culinaire, one of the largest live culinary competitions in the south, is moving to Brockenhurst College in Hampshire for the 2012 event and will be held from April 3-4.

Located in the heart of the New Forest National Park, Brockenhurst is one of the country's leading colleges and has been awarded the prestigious Beacon College status for excellence and innovation in further education, and is ranked 'outstanding' by Ofsted. The college offers superb facilities and its students achieve excellent results.

The popular event, which is held in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs, has grown in stature over the years and is a great platform for student chefs especially to get a first taste of competition experience.

Judge of the Wessex Salon Culinaire and Craft Guild vice president, Stephen Scuffell, said: "The salon events we'll be holding include hot, cold and restaurant service classes. These classes really get to grips with a host of aspects of the industry under competition conditions. We want to encourage as many entries as possible, as it's a fantastic arena for chefs to really put their skills to the test."

Aside from entrants, the organisers are looking for sponsors to help back the competition. The viability of staging a successful salon is extremely difficult without significant sponsorship in place.

• For more on taking part in the Wessex Salon Culinaire, for sponsoring a class or having a stand, please contact the Craft Guild of Chefs on 0208 948 3870 or email craftguild@btconnect.com. A class schedule will be announced at the end of January 2012.

Words: Sheila Eggleston

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