Quality Standard Beef and Lamb Young Chef Challenge 2009

8th May 2009

James Martin is back leading the search for the nation's most talented Young Chefs

Through the Quality Standard Beef and Lamb Young Chef Challenge 2009

The ultimate cookery competition - The Quality Standard Beef and Lamb Young Chef Challenge is back! Now in its fourth year the Challenge has been given a makeover and promises to be bigger and better than ever, so don't miss out on your chance to get involved.

Launched by EBLEX*, the free to enter competition is open to all secondary schools in England, with students able to submit their original and favourite recipes using Quality Standard beef and lamb mince. The Challenge is well suited to the food technology curriculum and is designed to engage, educate and inspire students to get hands on cooking experience and appreciate the importance of good nutrition and quality ingredients.

So, if you are aged between 11 -16 and are looking to take your Food & Technology/Catering GCSE, or are simply passionate about cooking, Quality Standard beef and lamb want to hear from you now!

There are great prizes on offer for the regional winners, including £200 worth of school kitchen equipment vouchers, professional chef whites and signed James Martin cookbooks. James Martin will also handpick a National Winner from the regional champions for the grand prize - a fantastic opportunity to experience being a chef in the kitchen of an iconic restaurant. For further details, see www.meatandeducation.com.

Celebrity Chef and TV presenter, James Martin, is delighted to be fronting the competition for the fourth year, judging entries and joining a regional cook-off competition tour that will take place in December 2009.

So what does it involve? We're looking for original recipes using Quality Standard beef or lamb mince to be submitted together with a photograph of your finished dish. The competition aims to demonstrate the ease and versatility of cooking with beef and lamb mince. Whether it's adding a new twist to an old classic, or creating something totally new, all recipes must be developed and cooked from scratch. The best entries will be invited to regional cook-off finals judged by James and our top panel of experts.

Denise Spencer-Walker, Food Advisor for Quality Standard beef and lamb, says: "Last year we had a phenomenal response from schools and students to the Challenge, with the standard of entries higher than ever. Each year the Challenge gets bigger and better and I can't wait to see the entries for 2009! The competition was launched to encourage young people to get cooking, educate them on how to identify quality ingredients but most importantly show them that cooking is something to be enjoyed. With the national curriculum emphasising practical hands on experience, creativity and sensible food shopping the challenge offers a perfect way to inspire students. So register now before the 24th July 2009 deadline."

The Quality Standard label was launched by EBLEX* to help shoppers identify meat that has been especially produced for consistent eating quality. The striking patchwork fields logo can be found on Quality Standard beef and lamb in supermarkets and butchers and indicates that it is made from farm assured beef and lamb that is processed in accordance with strict quality assurance standards that are above the legal minimum and independently audited at every stage. The label also guarantees the eating quality of the meat you are buying and that the tough standards of the scheme deliver tender results.

For lesson plans and an entry pack please log onto www.meatandeducation.com,

or email QSMyoungchefchallenge[AT]goodrelations.co.uk, or write to Quality Standard Beef and Lamb Young Chef Challenge, 26 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1PQ

Schools/students must make sure they are registered for the competition by 24th July 2009

The deadline for all recipe entries is 23rd October 2009

The regional heats take place between 1 - 3 December 2009

EBLEX is the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board