Aimed exclusively at catering and hospitality students, the competition is a chance for young chefs to showcase their talent.
Alison Smith, product developer for Mars Food Europe, said: “The Dolmio Professional and Uncle Ben’s Foodservice student catering challenge has become a renowned competition within the industry and is an event which we look forward to every year.
“Not only does it allow us to engage with the next generation of chefs and nurture future talent, but it provides the perfect platform for new budding chefs to experience the competition environment, which for many, is often the first time.
“We’ve seen some absolutely fantastic dishes created by students over the last two years and this fun, unique event allows students to showcase their culinary skills in front of a professional panel of judges. I’m hugely excited that the challenge is returning for its third year and am looking forward to seeing what our future young chefs have in store.”
The competition invites the students to design two dishes suitable for a casual dining summer family menu. The dishes should compromise of one ‘adult dish’ suitable for parents, and one ‘children’s dish’ suitable for the kids.
Each recipe should be creative, inventive and must use products from the Uncle Ben’s Foodservice sauce and rice range and/or the Dolmio Professional Foodservice sauce range.
In addition, both dishes should contain two of your five a day per serving, be gluten-free and comply with national guidelines on salt.
A panel will judge the initial concepts before choosing the best eight entries, who will then be invited to attend a grand final cook-off at The Foodservice show on Tuesday 22 January 2019.
The live final will give students the opportunity to present their culinary skills in front of industry professionals as they battle it out for the title of ‘best adult dish’ and ‘best children’s dish’ to win £200 worth of Amazon vouchers, with a special award and £400 of Amazon vouchers for the student with the ‘overall best casual dining summer family menu’.
For more information or if you would like to enter, email: cateringchallenge@rlpltd.co.uk