Now in its fourth event, the biennial competition is run in conjunction with the Craft Guild of Chefs and culminates with a live cook-off at Hotelympia’s Salon Culinaire Live Theatre on 2nd March 2016 at London’s ExCeL.
The 60 minute contest will challenge chefs to prepare, cook and present two portions of a main course dish which reflects and celebrates world cuisine, and two portions of a dessert, using rice in both courses.
Competitors will be able to choose from any of the following Tilda range: Easy Cook Basmati, Brown Basmati, Fragrant Jasmine, Arborio Risotto, Original Pure Basmati, and Basmati & Wild.
Mark Lyddy, head of foodservice at Tilda, said: “We're extremely delighted to be running Tilda Chef of the Year again in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs.
“Coming up to its fourth occasion, the competition is a fantastic opportunity for chefs to pit their cooking skills, presentation techniques and creativity against the very best the industry has to offer, and I am confident this year we will see even more talented chefs take up the challenge in a bid to be crowned Tilda Chef of the Year.”
The winner will also be awarded a two-day culinary trip to Italy. A new prize for 2016, the educational visit offers the newly crowned Tilda Chef of the Year the opportunity to discover first-hand the origination of Tilda’s renowned Arborio risotto rice, its unrivalled cooking qualities and its deserved place in Italian cuisine.
To lay claim to the title and prize, competitors must impress head judge Steve Munkley who, as well as holding the position of executive chef at the Royal Garden Hotel Kensington, has recently been appointed new Chef Director, Salon Culinaire.
He said: “Tilda Chef of the Year has always set the bar very high and this year we'll be looking for chefs that take cooking with rice to the next level. The competition is a great platform for anyone wanting to further their career and, with the addition this year of a study trip to Italy, the winner will be able to further their understanding of cooking with rice too, as well as gain a host of knowledge that they can take back and use within their workplace. We look forward to seeing what today's generation of chefs are capable of in the kitchen.”
For the first time, competitors can enter Tilda Chef of the Year online. This not only speeds up the process, but also enables anyone entering or putting colleagues forward into a variety of classes to do so in one, easy transaction.
To find out more and to enter Tilda Chef of the Year, visit www.hotelympia.com/competitorzone