UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year2017

*Used with permission of the Sea Fish Industry Authoritycopyright, design and trade mark owner www.seafish.org

*

Dear ColleagueWe are delighted once again to invite you to enter The UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year competition.

The competition is open to your full-time and college basedmodern apprentice chefs. The competition is now in itssixteenth year and has been supported by some of thebest chefs in the UK today. Chefs from around the countryincluding Cyrus Todiwala, Aiden Byrne, Jean-ChristopheNovelli, Tom Aitkens, Mitch Tonks, Franck Pontais,Valentina Harris and Ben Bartlett have all supported thiscompetition in recent years due to its underlying messageto industry regarding the importance of using sustainableseafood. This year we would like to welcome NathanOutlaw onto the judging panel for the final on Tuesday13th June 2017.

Previous winners, college tutors and competitors havedescribed this competition as an essential date on theHospitality Calendar which provides all young chefs with a platform to demonstrate their flair, understanding, skilland ability using seafood from sustainable sources.Proudly sponsored by many major companies in theseafood sector and actively supported by Seafish.Colleges can enter as many teams as they wish ensuringeach team consists of two student chefs. By using thespecies named and with the support of the competitionrules teams can submit their menus by post or emailin preparation for the paper judging to take place.

Regional heats will take place across the UK in May 2017where three highest scoring teams will be chosen fromeach regional heat to go on to compete at the Grand Finalon 13th June 2017. This years’ overall winning team withnot only gain several prizes but they will win a Thermomixfor their college department.

The seafood species to be used for this year competitionare listed below, however there is a new element in thecompetition.

Teams going through to the finals in Grimsby will be givenan ‘invention test’, all successful teams will receive a list ofingredients and a brief during the gala dinner the eveningbefore the final to come up with a dish to replace theintermediate course that was presented at the regionalheats.

Starter – Red Fish or Salmon (fillets) Intermediate – Cod or smoked haddock (fillets)Main Course – Hake or plaice (Whole)

1. No other seafood products apart from the species provided or fish bones/shells for stock are to be used in the competition.

2. Seafood specified is only to be used on the course it’s named for (excluding bones or shells) i.e. you can only use Hake and/or plaice on the main course.

The challenge is to prepare, cook and present yoursubmitted menu for six covers.

Of the six covers, one will be presented to the panel ofjudges for tasting and scoring, four are served to invitedVIP guests, for comments, and the remaining cover will be displayed for photography, guests and all teams to view.Teams are required to bring all their own commodities with them to the heats excluding the specific seafoodspecies for each course as this is provided by oursponsors. All named products will be provided at eachheat and the final.

We hope you will encourage your students to enter andcompete in this years’ UK Young Seafood Chef of the Yearcompetition, as not only do they have the opportunity ofwinning this coveted title but they will receive a Thermomixfor the winning team department as well as Russums’vouchers and many other prizes.

This years competition welcomes Koppert Cress as asponsor, they will be providing teams with two excitingproducts from their range of cresses that need to beconsidered into menu planning and creating the dishes for this years competition entry.

Good luck!Yours sincerely

Paul RobinsonCompetition Co-ordinatorUK Young Seafood Chef of the Year 2017

Dates for your diaries 201719/05/17 - Regional Heat to be held at Sunderland College 12/05/17 - Regional Heat to be held at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, North Wales26/05/17 - Regional Heat to be held at City College Norwich13/06/17 - The Grand Final will be held at the Grimsby Institute University Centre, Lincolnshire.

Grand Final Prizes - 2017

1st prize - • Thermomix TM31• £1000 Russums Voucher for the College• £500 per team member• Cookbook• Competition Trophy• Seafood Competition Medal• Certificate

2nd prize - • £300 Russums Voucher for the College• £100 per team member• Luxury knife bag per team member • Seafood Competition Medal• Certificate

3rd prize - • £200 Russums voucher for the College• £100 per team member• Global knife per team member • Cookbook • Seafood Competition Medal• Certificate

4th prize - • £100 Russums Voucher for the College• £100 per team member• Cookbook• Seafood Competition Medal• Certificate

UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year2017

Competition InformationEntrants must be under 25 and enrolled onto either a full-time course or be a college based modern apprentices

UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year 2017Entrants must be under 25 and enrolled onto either a full-time course or be a college based modern apprentices

Entry formName of College

College Address

Telephone

Name of College Representative

Telephone

E-mail Address

Team entryNames of (a) ageStudent Chefs

(b) age

Course of Study (a) Enrolment No

(b) Enrolment No

Your Selectionof DishesPlease attach a menu description for each dish, costing analysis and recipes withmethods

We agree to abide by the competition rules as outlined:

Student Names(please print clearly)

Student Signatures a) b)

Your word processed entry should include – a full and complete food order, recipe and method.

This entry form is to be completed and returned no later than Thursday 30th March 2017 to:Paul Robinson, Competition Co-ordinator, Hospitality, The Grimsby Institute, Nuns Corner,Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN34 5BQ. Posted recorded delivery to avoid disappointment.

Competition & Judging GuidelinesThe choice of seafood will be restricted to the specific species listed in the table below. It is hopedthat this will encourage creativity and imagination through craft skills, rather than the use of exoticspecies and, in addition, raise awareness of sustainability issues amongst entrants to the cateringprofession.

The below table is to be completed and returned with entry pack as this is what you will receive atthe regional heat if your successful with your paper entry.

Starter – Red Fish or Salmon (fillets) Intermediate – Cod or smoked haddock (fillets)Main Course – Hake or plaice (Whole)

Each team has to present three courses for six people using the seafood in each category.

1. A total food cost of £15 per person is allowed using market values at the time of entry. All other items needed, including garnishes, should be calculated within the £90 available.

2. Each team will be allowed three hours to prepare and present their dishes.

3. Each team should produce six copies of their written menu (one for the judging table, to be scored, one for the viewing table and four for the customer table). Marks will be awarded this year by the judges for any educational and informative content relating to the description of dishes, student chefs, allergen awareness and presentation of the menus. Costing lists are to highlight weights and costs of species and this is to be provided when submitting the entry.

4. Any fish bones that are required are to be used from the waste of the species used (this can be highlighted as of no cost within your menu costing’s).

5. The seafood stated for each course is the species to use for the nominated course and cannot be used for any other course (excluding the fish bones or shells).

6. Entrants must be under 25 on enrolment to their course and studying toward either a full-time course or be a college based modern apprentices.

7. Teams must use a minimum of two Koppert Cress products within either the starter or main course, you can use a product in both dishes if you choose or you can even use more than one cress/product on the same dish.

Please note:

• As this competition is fundamentally based upon the judging of craft skills, NO prior preparation, portioning or weighing out of any ingredient is allowed.Students may be disqualified for pre prep or pre portioning.

• Prior to commencing the competition each team will be allowed 30 minutes in order to familiarise themselves with the kitchen, the support staff allocated to them and to get organised.To reiterate, this 30 minutes DOES NOT include the prior preparation of any ingredient.

• Prior to the start of the competition the judges will visit each work station to ensure that no prior preparation has taken place.

• The language of the dishes is not at stake, but translation must be supplied for those menusentered in a foreign language. Marks will be awarded to teams that can show the judges that they have a basic knowledge and understanding of the MSC and sustainability of species.

Each team will prepare, cook and present each of their three courses as follows: -

• One finished plate to a panel of judges, for scoring and tasting.

• One finished plate to be reserved for competing teams , judges and media, to view at the end of the competition, and to remain in place after the competition for feedback purposes.

• The remaining four finished plates to invited guests, for dining and comments

• All dishes to be presented as if they were to be served in a restaurant.

• Plates and flats for service should be brought to the competition together with 6 copies of menu for the guest and viewing tables (6 copies of your menu are required in preparation of the regional heat).

Following the judging of paper entries by the competition’s review judges, teams will be invitedto compete at the regional heats which are held at various venues across the UK.

At each of the heats three teams will be chosen to go forward to the Grand Final which will beheld on Tuesday 13th June 2017.

All finalists will be invited to a masterclass with Nathan Outlaw on the afternoon of Monday 12th June to then attend and dine at the Gala Dinner on the evening at the Brackenborough Hotel in Louth, prior to the competition final the following day. . After spending the day competing thewinner of the 2017 Young Seafood Chef of the Year will be announced within the award ceremony.

The regional menus are based on the original paper entry submission for both the regional and the Grand final.

EntriesAll entries are to be submitted to;

FAO - Paul Robinson at The Grimsby Institute by Thursday 30th March 2017.

Each entry submitted will include:

A starter, an intermediate and a main course - ALL using fish species specified in the tableattached.

A summary of ingredient costs for each dish, including the method of production for each dish.

Any special equipment required for preparation or production as well as the name or account number to be placed onto the cheque to pay for ingredients (Final only).

In order to avoid teams transporting equipment, host colleges should be able to provide most of the requirements. Where we are not able to do so, we will inform you in good time.

Paper judging will take place in April 2017 and those teams selected for the regional heats will be notified by telephone. Teams with then be selected to compete at each regional heat, three winnerswill go through from each heat to then attend the Grand Final in June 2017.

UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year2017

Rules 2017

1. Entrants must be under 25 and enrolled onto either a full-time course or be a college based modern apprentices.

2. Entry forms to be submitted to Paul Robinson - Hospitality Competition Office;The Grimsby Institute, Nuns Corner, Grimsby no later than Thursday 30th March 2017

3. Entry pack to include the following:

• Jacket sizes• Weights of species • Recipes (to include method and ingredients)• Menu and Costings• 1 copy of the presentation menu

(if successful in round 1, then 6 copies must be provided at the heat)

4. The organisers will not accept responsibility for entries arriving later than theclosing date.

5. The decision of the selection and judging panels will be final.

6. No prior correspondence with the judging panel can take place.To do so will result in that teams’ withdrawal from the competition.

7. Food costs will remain within the maximum amount allowed of £90.

8. The dishes submitted will be the ones produced on the day of the competition.

9. The organisers reserve the right to use recipes and other material forpromotional purposes.

10. Successful teams that reach the final may change the presentation, but not theingredients of their dishes.

Pre-final accommodationFor those teams travelling to the Final, arrangements for accommodation and pre-final dinner will be organised by The Grimsby Institute. Drinks consumed at dinner or at the hotel will be theresponsibility of the team.

Furthermore, if for any reason the hotel at which the team is staying has a justifiablecomplaint against a team, that team will be disqualified from the final of the competitionand charged the full price of their accommodation and food.

The Institute will only provide one night stay per team of two and one tutor on the night of the Final (12/06/2017).. If any further accommodation is required then this will be paid for by thecompetitors. Accommodation will be provided for one tutor per team any other tutors wishing to join the team will have to pay for an additional room.

Raising Funds for Travel CostsMany college teams competing in competitions around the UK are now raising their own fundsthrough sponsorship to assist in travel and accommodation costs.

You may have a local supplier that may want to sponsor your college team.

A fundraiser event at your college is another idea. Why not hold an event to try out your menus onguests with students’ parents and local sponsors attending. Try a raffle on the evening, whereprizes are auctioned instead of selling tickets, it can create more and more money for your team.

Our Sponsors are:

www.ukseafood.co.uk www.seafish.org*Used with permission of the Sea Fish Industry Authority copyright, design and trade mark owner

www.seafish.org

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The Fishmongers' Company