With the winner set to take home the David Lyell Scholarship, contestants must submit dish names, recipes, methods, timings and costs for the following three dishes, by 4 February:
- Plated restaurant dessert – 4-cover plated restaurant dish - 1 photograph required
- Skill test:
- Chocolate Easter egg: must be 15cm high x 6cm wide and made using Felchlin chocolate only
- 18 moulded praline-flavoured ganache petit fours and pâtede fruit - 12 presented with the egg and 6 to guests
There is a strict judging criteria (flavour 30%; presentation 25%; innovation 15%; hygiene 10%; working method 20%) which will be overseen by the panel, including: chair of judges Ross Sneddon (Balmoral Hotel); Benoit Blin (Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons); Mick Burke (former Sheffield College senior chef lecturer); Mark Poynton (MJP Restaurant); Jerome Dreux (Town & Country Fine Foods); Liam Grimes (RAF chef); and specialist judge, Franck Pontais (Koppert Cress UK innovation and development chef).
The competition is open to pastry chefs under the age of 23 who must be actively working in a hotel/ restaurant kitchen, banqueting or within any corporate/event catering environment, or a college student.
As well as the David Lyell Scholarship, the winner will take home a fully paid trip to Felchlin (Switzerland), engraved silver salver and £250 cash.
All finalists will receive a prize, including £250 cash for the runner-up and £100 for third position.
The final will take place 9 April at the Claire Clarke Academy (Milton Keynes College), with entries to be submitted by 4 February to Hallshaune.hall001@gmail.com.
For full details, including ingredient requirements and dish guidelines, visit www.masterchefsgb.co.uk