Brakes Group launches student team chef challenge 2012

The national competition is designed to encourage the next generation of chefs to develop 'real life' catering skills and provides the perfect opportunity for all full time catering and hospitality college students. Contestants can enter online at (www.brakesstudentchef.co.uk). This is supported by an interactive Twitter page, Facebook page and You Tube channel featuring an interview with head judge Christopher Basten, last year's winning team from Ayr College and other interactive features. To enter, lecturers are asked to submit on behalf of their college teams a menu, a list of ingredients, accurate costings and state how the menu will be prepared. Teams must consist of three full time catering and hospitality college students, and will be judged on their interpretation of the 'Best of British' theme, creativity and originality, use of and interpretation of regional dishes as well as displaying a high level of culinary, presentation skills and taste. The menu requirements are for three courses, for four covers with a £10 a head budget. It should be well balanced and prepared within one hour 45 minutes. If shortlisted from the first round of paper judging, the teams will be invited to compete in a live cook-off at one of six regional heats. Finalists from the six regional heats will compete in a live cook off at the national final, held as part of Salon Culinaire International de Londres at Hotelympia at Earls Court, London in February 2012. The winning team will receive a five day work placement with Christopher Basten, vice chairman of the Craft of Guild Chefs and the executive chef at the prestigious London Marriott County Hall hotel, plus a host of other prizes. All finalists will receive a year's free membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs. Prizes are also awarded to second and third place teams as well as those winning the regional heats. James Armitage, Brakes Group marketing director said: "This competition is specifically designed to recreate the experience and pressures of a typical professional kitchen. Competitors will need to source and cost produce effectively, skills just as important as the quality of the dishes themselves."