Kokova Magazine

Competition now closed.

Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, launched this year’s Gluten-Free Chef of the Year competition at IFE, the International Food and Drink Event held at Excel London, with the judging to be headed up by celebrity chef Phil Vickery.

For the second year, the competition is being run in association with the Institute of Hospitality and the Craft Guild of Chefs. The competition is for professional cooks and catering college students to design a three course gluten-free meal for two people, with a live cook-off for three finalists in each group, which will take place at the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Business Development Centre in Leatherhead on 8 November 2011.

Phil Vickery is Coeliac UK's Food Ambassador and has worked with the Charity for a number of years including judging last year's competition and also writing two gluten-free cookbooks.

I'm passionate about improving knowledge in the food industry and the necessity for more gluten-free cooking as more and more people are diagnosed, and urge chefs of all experience to enter this excellent competition.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Damage to the gut lining occurs when gluten is eaten; there is no cure or medication for the condition and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.

Without a gluten-free diet, the disease can lead to other conditions, such as malnutrition, osteoporosis, bowel cancer and also can cause infertility problems.

At least 1 in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease; representing a potential £100 million market amongst those diagnosed with the condition and the friends and family they eat out with.

The Charity is calling on all chefs, from those who are well established to trainees, to design recipes for a delicious three course gluten-free meal. The recipe competition comprises two categories; 'Gluten-free Chef of the Year' for those who cook for a living and the 'Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year' for those who are training.

To Enter

Written submissions must:

• be suitable for casual dining/bistro/brasserie style service
• be innovative but simple and practical to serve
• consider profitability of the dishes
• consider taste and texture – for example, can you tell it is gluten-free?
• balance of flavours across the three course meal
• be seasonal – is the entry a spring/summer/autumn/winter menu

For help with developing gluten-free recipes, Coeliac UK has an online catering training module: www.coeliacUK-cateringtraining.org.uk

Prizes

Gluten-free Chef of the Year
A week stage at award winning restaurant in Gleneagles working under Michelin starred chef, Andrew Fairlie with accommodation included.

Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year
A week stage at Michelin-starred Latymer Restaurant at Pennyhill Park with chef Michael Wignell with accommodation included.

Additional prizes for winners and runners up are kindly supplied by Sodexo and 3663 and all six finalists will receive membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs.

Deadline for the written entries: 7 October 2011

Three entrants will be shortlisted for each category, and will be notified by 21 October 2011for attendance of the live cook off at 9am on 8 November.

For more information go to: www.coeliac.org.uk/glutenfreechefoftheyear2011