SAUCY COMPETITION TO INSPIRE CATERING STUDENTS

15th June 2010, 12:42pm

The makers of Heinz tomato ketchup have launched a competition to encourage back of house staff to think outside the bottle when it comes to using their famous sauce.

Heinz Foodservice has teamed up with the Craft Guild of Chefs and City & Guilds to give full-time catering students aged 18-22 – who are in their second year of study or above - the chance to enter The Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cook-Off 2011.

Laterally minded participants must come up with a starter and main course using Heinz Tomato Ketchup as a key ingredient. Heinz Foodservice ask that one of the recipes should be 'classic with a twist' and the other an 'original and innovative contemporary dish' with both dishes being profit-making.

Hopefuls must submit their paper entries by 30th November 2010 where they will be whittled down to ten finalists who will then be invited to a cook-off at The Sheffield College on Wednesday 13th January 2011. Here the shortlisted chefs will be given 90 minutes each to produce four covers of their two courses. The final champion will be chosen by a panel of judges who will be testing against criteriathat includes originality of recipe, practicality when reproduced in a commercial kitchen, presentation and overall balance.

The winner taking first place will pick up £2000 cash and a year's free membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs. Second and third place runners-up will each receive £500 and £250 worth of Russums vouchers and a year's membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs. The college that submits the winning entry and the lecturer of the winning student will also win prizes.

Brand manager for Heinz Foodservice Scott McKinnon hopes the competition will challenge young chefs to be more versatile in their use of the well-know sauce saying: "For years, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, has been seen solely as a side plate accompaniment, however there is so much that can be created from it from starters to desserts."

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