BUDDING chefs are being given the chance to win work experience at one of the UK’s top restaurants.
Entries have now opened for Young Highland Chef 2015. The top prize for this year’s competition is a week of work experience at Le Gavroche, the Roux family’s two Michelin starred restaurant in London, and a cheque for £500.
Young Highland Chef is an annual competition which invites people aged between 18 and 30 from around the Highlands and Islands to submit a three-course menu on paper, before eight entrants are selected to prepare their creations at a live cook-off.
Organised by North Highland College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and Chez Roux Limited, the final takes place at the college’s training restaurant, Burghfield House, in Dornoch.
This year’s entrants are asked to submit menus with crab in the starter, venison in the main and apple in the sweet. Entries are due by Tuesday 15 September and the live final will take place on Monday 5 October.
Young Highland Chef’s judging panel will be led by celebrated chef, Albert Roux OBE, with support from some of Britain’s best known culinary professionals, including Andrew Fairlie of Gleneagles Hotel and Glen Watson of The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield.
As well as the top prize, £250 and a week’s work experience at The RAC Club in London is up for grabs for the second place contestant and £100 for the person who comes third. All finalists will also be presented with a certificate by Albert Roux at a champagne reception after the cook-off.
Speaking about this years’ competition, Mr Roux said: “Another Young Highland Chef competition is upon us. It’s always gratifying to come to the Highlands to judge the young talent who will cook for us at the Burghfield Hotel.
“Our line-up of judges this year is again second to none and I know I speak for all of them in saying we are there not only to judge, but to encourage the young talent that is waiting to be discovered!
“Seasonal, local, well cooked dishes; these are the main criteria we are looking for and that we are looking forward to tasting in the final in October.”
Anne Frew, assistant director of service industries at North Highland College UHI, said: “We are excited to be hosting Young Highland Chef again this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our young talent to demonstrate their skills and is also a great way to showcase our training restaurant, which serves one of the region’s key industries. We hope the chance to work at the Roux’s restaurant in London will encourage many of our region’s rising stars to enter.”
To find out more about Young Highland Chef and download an application form, visit www.burghfieldhouse.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors
The University of the Highlands and Islands and North Highland College UHI offer a range of tourism and hospitality courses, including a professional cookery HNC and a tourism and hospitality BA (Hons).
Menus must have a budget of £20 per cover. Successful applications will have 2 hours to cook their three course meals.
The full judging panel comprises: Albert Roux OBE, Andrew Fairlie of Gleneagles Hotel; Brian Maule of Chardon d’Or in Glasgow; Steven Docherty of The First Floor Café in Windermere; Glen Watson of The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield and Derek Johnstone from The Golf Inn in Gullane, East Lothian.
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