Chefs urged to enter competitions at Hotel & Catering Show

The Wessex Salon Culinaire competition, in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs and WorldSkills UK and sponsored by Nestlé Professional CHEF and Coastline Produce, forms part of the Hotel and Catering Show and takes place on 16th and 17th March at the Bournemouth International Centre. This year, the challenge will be staging the WorldSkills UK Cooking, Confectioner/Pastry Chef and Restaurant Services competitions. There are many different competitions to suit all levels of ability from Nestlé Professional's 'CHEF at Salon' to the Coastline and Bournemouth & Poole College 'Chefs Forum', which is open to Dorset and Hampshire chefs. For those chefs wanting to experience competing for the first time, the Caterer, Licensee and Hotelier 'Student Chef of the Year' is a perfect category. Groves said: "I think it's great for young chefs to participate in competitions like the Wessex Salon Culinaire as it gives them a chance to get valuable feedback from well respected people from the industry, and with this year's competition staging the Worldskills UK hospitality finals it will give even more up and coming chefs the opportunity to demonstrate phenomenal cooking skills. "From my personal experience I felt that my participation in the competition made me more determined to succeed in future challenges. My top tip for those competing is to make sure you know your dishes inside out and don't get too worked up about it, best results are usually achieved when you're enjoying yourself." Chefs can enter via www.hotel-expo.co.uk/wsc by Tuesday 9th March.