Culinary contest brought back to life

Following a call for its resurrection, Brian Mellor has salvaged NW Young Chef of the Year, which has celebrated budding culinary talent for the past seven years as a key initiative of the now disbanded North West Fine Foods. The highly-respected member of the Craft Guild of Chefs said the great news that battle would commence after all had gone down brilliantly across the industry. "After North West Fine Foods went out of business this year, there was simply no platform for young chefs to test and hone their skills," he said. "Having to shelve NW Young Chef of the Year came as a great blow across the industry and I was asked if I could save it. The first thing I did was ask contenders, judges and restaurants if they actually wanted the competition and the answer was a resounding 'yes'. "Many industry players have rallied round to offer support, prizes, trips, stages, candidates, expertise on the judging front and the like, while Essential Cuisine has thankfully returned to not only sponsor the competition, but develop it to make a real impact. We are back in business and set to show what our talented youngsters can do." Now a competition in its own right, NW Young Chef of the Year will involve a nail biting cook-off in each of the region's five counties - Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside - with winners going head to head at a live final next Spring. They will then be off to an awards ceremony and gala dinner to hear the hotly anticipated result, attended by regional producers, food writers, radio and newspaper media and top chefs. The NW Young of the Year will receive a week long stage in a renowned European restaurant. Each county finalist will receive a week's work experience at one of the best restaurants in the North West. For more information call 0870 050 1133, email sales@essentialcuisine.com or visit www.essentialcuisine.com