Young chefs from Christchurch catering establishments are being invited to take part in this year’s Young Chef of the Year competition, as part of the Christchurch Food & Wine Festival.

The young chefs, aged less than 23 years old, should have both a flair and a passion for food. They will be required to design a menu for a three-course meal, all with a strong local influence using seasonal products, with minimal food-miles.

The finalists will be chosen according to their written nomination and menu. The short-listed chefs will then be invited to take part in a cook-off in late April at the Bournemouth & Poole College. It will be judged by David Boland, Senior Lecturer/Lead Tutor Hospitality & Catering at the College.

Chefs will be required to prepare, cook and present two covers of each course of their three course meal during the cook-off in two hours. The finalists will be required to shop for their ingredients with a budget of £20.00 in total to cover the six dishes.

David Badley of the Christchurch Food Festival Committee said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our talented young chefs to be recognised and celebrated. “

The winner will be presented with the “Young Chef of the Year” award at the invitation-only ‘Best of the Best Awards’ evening, sponsored by and held at The East Close Hotel, Hinton, Christchurch. The Oscar-style Awards Ceremony is one of the highlights of the Food Festival, where awards are presented for outstanding achievements in food and dining experiences in Christchurch.

Catering establishments wishing to nominate a young chef for the competition should contact David Badley at badley@talktalk.net.