South West Chef of the Year 2015 opens for entries

Prestigious cooking competition, South West Chef of the Year 2015 is open for entries. Co-founded and judged by two Michelin-starred Michael Caines, MBE, it offers working chefs the opportunity for culinary skill recognition.

Michael said: “I invite anyone with a passion for cooking to enter South West Chef of the Year. We are now in our 12th year and the competition is just a fantastic way for budding chefs to experience cooking at a high level, to compete against peers and receive feedback from top chefs. It’s been a real career launch pad over the years and I have been very excited to see entrants thrive during and beyond the competition.”

>>> Read more about Michael Caines, MBE here

Giving entrants an excellent opportunity to cook for and learn from renowned professional chefs, those joining Michael to judge the competition at various stages, include: Paul Ainsworth; Nathan Outlaw; Simon Hulstone and Hywel Jones. The Professional category, for entrants 24 years old and older, is for those working at the level of pastry chef, junior sous or above. Last year’s winner Dean Westcar from Manor House Hotel's Castle Combe, Wiltshire worked as a junior sous chef. The Young Professional class, gives chefs aged 19 to 23 years the chance to compete against their peers. It demands the same challenges as those for the Professional class. Last year’s winner, Elly Wentworth, went on to win the overall title of South West Chef of the Year. The Student/Apprentice Chef class, committed to the next generation of kitchen talent, is open to chefs aged 16 to 19 at college or in an apprenticeship. Entry is via South West catering colleges and extra places are available to individual entrants. Last year’s winner, apprentice chef Emily Colling, also won her college's Apprentice of the Year award.

>>> Read about last year's winner of South West Chef of the Year 

Entrants are asked to create and submit a two-course menu for three, comprising of a starter and main course. The emphasis is on using the South West's seasonal produce and must include two judge specified protein ingredients. Professional class entrants must use a whole partridge and gilt head bream in their menus, the Young Professional class a whole chicken and scallops in the shell while Student chefs should create dishes with pork tenderloin and a whole sea trout. All menus will be carefully considered for creativity, skill and use of regional produce. Chefs entering the selected menus will be invited to the semi-finals held at Exeter College on Saturday, October 3 where they will be asked to cook their dishes for the judges. Successful finalists will then go through to the final held on Thursday, October 29. Contenders are invited to submit applications before August 16 for the categories: Professional; Young Professional and Student Chef, via: www.southwestchef.co.uk