Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, along with celebrity chef Phil Vickery, is encouraging chefs from across the country to enter this year’s competition to find the next Coeliac UK Gluten-free Chef of the Year.
The competition is again being run in association with the Institute of Hospitality and the Craft Guild of Chefs with the judging to be once again headed up by Coeliac UK ’s Food Ambassador Phil Vickery. Deadline for entries is 4 November 2013.
The competition
The competition is for professional cooks and catering college students to design a three course gluten-free meal for two people. Entrants’ menus must include at least two courses which include a gluten-free element, such as pasta, pastry, sponge, cake, bread, batter etc which must be made from scratch on the day of the live cook off by the three finalists in each group. The live cook off will take place at the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Business Development Centre, Leatherhead on Tuesday 19 November 2013.
Phil Vickery has worked with Coeliac UK , the national charity for people with coeliac disease, for a number of years and has also written three gluten-free cookbooks. “More and more people are being diagnosed with coeliac disease and, in today’s difficult times, it’s a market the industry can’t afford to ignore and I urge chefs of all experience to enter this excellent competition,” said Phil Vickery.
1 in 100 suffer from Coeliac disease – £100+ million market
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, small bowel cancer and also can cause infertility problems. 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, representing a potential £100 million market amongst those diagnosed with the condition and the friends and family they eat out with.
Two categories
The competition comprises two categories; ‘Gluten-free Chef of the Year’ for those who cook for a living and are over 23 and the ‘Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year’ for those who are training and under 23. Entrants will be shortlisted and three finalists from each category will go head to head in a live cook off final to recreate their menu in 90 minutes
Prizes
Gluten-free Chef of the Year: a week long stage at Gleneagles working under two Michelin-starred chef, Andrew Fairlie with accommodation included.
Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year: a week long stage at Michelin-starred The Pass at South Lodge with chef Matt Gillan, with accommodation included.
Additional prizes, kindly provided by Sodexo and 3663, include generous gift vouchers and knives, and all finalists will receive a year’s Membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs.
Entries
For help with developing gluten-free recipes, Coeliac UK has plenty of hints and tips www.coeliac.org.uk
Closing date for entries is 5pm on 4 November 2013. For more information on entries and the competition visit www.coeliac.org.uk/gfchefoftheyear