North West Young Chef 2015 application deadline extended

The deadline for Essential Cuisine’s North West Young Chef 2015 applications has been extended by seven days.

The competition, now in its 13th year, has offered the chance for more budding chefs to apply for entry in all six regions. The Stock People are offering young, local talent the opportunity of an automatic seed into the National Young Chef 2015 semi-finals, plus £500 in cash.

The deadlines for each of the regions are as follows: Cumbria – Friday, March 6, Greater Manchester – Wednesday, March 11, Merseyside – Friday, March 20, Flintshire – Wednesday, March 25, Lancashire – Friday, March 27.

Nigel Crane, Essential Cuisine Managing Director, said: “We recognise how busy modern kitchens can be which is why we’re offering this one-off extension for chefs to get involved.”

Talented young chefs with confidence and flair under the age of 23 are being called upon to enter the competition, which involves producing a three-course meal for two, focusing on seasonal, local and good quality ingredients.

The competition will judge the candidate’s ability to demonstrate good knowledge of local produce, and their ability to carry out an array of impressive skills and precision in their dishes.

Nigel said: “The spotlight of competition is where many of today’s most successful chefs have earned their stripes. Not only will our 2015 winner get the kudos of wining such a prestigious competition, they will also be able to go on and test their skills against the best young chefs in the UK.”

As of three years ago, the competition also allows the chance for county heat winners to take part in a masterclass hosted by an acclaimed chef before the national finals. This will offer candidates the chance to develop key skills with the knowledge and expertise of an industry professional. Last year, Aiden Byrne – the youngest chef to win a Michelin star – joined the finalists at Manchester House, alongside renowned culinary legend, Pierre Koffmann.

The heats will take place across the end of March and throughout April. The final round of the competition will take place on Thursday, May 7 2015. Entry forms must indicate the use of local and national produce for the contending dishes.

For more information about the competition visit Essential Cuisine’s website, or call Lucy on 01606 541490.

Apply for the competition here

Follow the events on their Facebook page, and Twitter.

By Ashley Chalmers