They will be expected to show their expertise in flavour matching as they create dishes using various herb and spice combinations.
Open to teams of two chefs, they will have just 45 minutes in which to prepare and present a two-course meal for two covers. Competitors must include two of the following pairings, taken from the latest McCormick Flavour Forecast; cumin and sofrito; vanilla and butter; ginger and coconut; red tea, cinnamon and plum; blueberry, cardamom and corn masa; sweet soy, tamarind and black pepper.
Richard Knights, head chef, Southwold Pier, won silver at Hotelympia this year and said: “It was an amazing experience to compete in such a prestigious competition and you really are pushed to your limits but I’d recommend it to any chefs that enjoy exploring new flavour combinations. We were delighted with our silver medals and will be entering the Schwartz Flavour Pairing Challenge again, but this time we are going for gold!”
Entry forms are available from peter@salonculinaire.co.uk. All entries must be received by 1st December 2012. For product samples, please contact McCormick (UK) Ltd on 08081 000363 or email uk.foodservice@mccormick.co.uk.
The event is taking place from 21-23 January at the NEC in Birmingham.