Entries will be judged on their creativity, taste and importantly how they engage children with the campaign. The winning catering team will receive a £500 cash prize and a Caterers’ Challenge trophy which will be presented at the LACA Awards for Excellence gala dinner. Twenty runners up will receive £100 and all catering teams will receive a certificate acknowledging their support.
Tilda, who became the official sponsor of last years Caterers’ Challenge, will also be running the Tilda Challenge, which asks school chefs to create an international recipe that blends vegetables and rice to ‘inspire’ families to cook together.
Dan Parker, chief executive of Veg Power, said: “The school catering teams play a vital role in ensuring the campaign is a success within schools. We are always blown away by their commitment, enthusiasm and creativity to produce amazing spreads and dazzling displays of veg. We love to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution that the catering teams make by running the Caterers’ and Tilda Challenges again this year.”
Eat Them To Defeat Them will be returning to TV screens on Saturday 11th February and the schools’ programme will begin after half term on Monday 20th February. This year sees a new theme being implemented in schools - ‘Taking Over The World’.
Annette Coggins, head of foodservice at Tilda UK, added: “Every year I am absolutely amazed by the fantastic entries to our Tilda’s Caterers’ Challenge! Last year we saw The Mexican Rice Bowl with Beetroot Salsa created by the team at Endeavour, using ingredients that their pupils absolutely adore – like our Brown & White rice! The recipe embodies what Tilda is all about.
“We’re passionate about bringing flavourful and nutritious meals full of vegetables and goodness to children, that we know they’ll love and that are good for them too."