10th Oct 2008 - 00:00
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Abstract
The search is now on for three of the region's most inventive and inspiring chefs with the launch of the Great Yorkshire Cookery Competition.
The contest is free to enter and is open to all who either live or work in Yorkshire. To enter, candidates can log onto www.greatyorkshirecookerycompetition.co.uk or dial 01423 546218 for an application form. The deadline for entries is 1 December. The winners of the challenge will be announced early next year.
Now in its fifth year and organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the contest has three categories and aims to find the best professional, amateur and junior chefs.
Top prize for the best amateur chef will be the chance to spend a day cooking at Michelin-starred Leeds restaurant Brasserie Blanc alongside one of Raymond Blanc's trained chefs. The Society will also provide the winner with a set of chef's knives.
Other prizes include a day at the Betty's Cookery School in Harrogate for the junior winner, and a cash prize and certificate for the best professional chef.
Supporting the challenge, Raymond Blanc said: "Michael House, our chef at Brasserie Blanc Leeds, whom I have trained and worked with for many years, will be in the kitchen to provide the lucky winner with a wonderful afternoon of cooking. The winner will see what life is really like in a professional kitchen, picking up all sorts of tips and tricks along the way."
Nigel Pulling, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, explained: "Today, people are increasingly aware of the importance of eating healthily and the starting point for that is using good seasonal ingredients to create tasty meals. This competition takes using regional and seasonal ingredients to the next level by developing them into imaginative dishes and re-enforces the vital role that farmers play."