Olive it!, a generic campaign raising awareness of table olives, has launched a catering competition in search of the most creative young chef in the country with the aim of educating the next generation of chefs about the versatility of olives as an ingredient.
Launched in partnership with Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy of Tapas Revolution fame, the competition is open to chefs aged 25 and under who are students or in part-time employment.
Entrants are asked to create a four-course menu, with each dish incorporating green or black olives as a principal ingredient.
Ten finalists will be invited to London for final judging in early June, where they will be required to take part in a cook-off. Each contestant will have to recreate their menu and present to the judges made up of some of the most influential names in the industry.
The winner will receive an all-inclusive gastronomic weekend for two in Spain worth £4,000, as well as £400 worth of chef’s professional equipment of their choice. In addition to this, they will also receive a one week placement at Omar Allibhoy’s award-winning restaurant Tapas Revolution.
The two-runners up will also each receive £400 worth of professional chefs equipment.
Simple but stylish dishes
Maria Becerra, spokesperson for the Olive it! campaign and part of the judging panel said: “We’re after simple yet stylish dishes that demonstrate great creativity using olives in a number of different ways. What people don’t often realise is that when combined with other ingredients, olives have so much more to offer than simply being served as a pre-dinner snack.
“We hope young chefs will seize the opportunity to show just how innovative they can be.”
Omar Allibhoy said: “Olives are one of the most versatile, delicious and nutritious ingredients available to any chef and I expect to see a diverse array of dishes and cuisines on offer in the competition entries. We hope that by launching this competition, we will encourage the next generation of chefs to use olives more actively in their culinary creations.
“This is a great opportunity for the UK’s top young chefs to showcase their abilities and to begin making a name for themselves with industry figures. The opportunity to competing in a live final is certainly an experience I believe will serve them well throughout the rest of their careers”, he added.
Entrants must be received by 31 March 2014
For more details on how to enter the competition click here
For all the latest news and ideas on how to incorporate Mediterranean olives into your diet follow @Oliveit_UK on Twitter, like our Facebook page or check out our website www.oliveit.eu.
Who can take part? What’s required?
Chefs up to the age of 25 who are students or in part-time employment to come up with a menu that incorporates green or black olives in every course and as one of the principal ingredients – the more creative the better.
The menu must feature four courses including:
- Canapé
- Starter
- Main course
- Dessert
Dishes should be simple but stylish and demonstrate great creativity in using olives in different ways, as well as being packed full of flavours that complement rather than overcomplicate.
Judging
The competition will be judged by a panel of industry professionals including Omar Allibhoy, Maria Becerra from Interaceituna (Interprofesional Table Olive), Lisa Jenkins at Caterer & Hotelkeeper, José Souto at Westminster Kingsway College, and Rachel Smith, Telegraph columnist and food blogger at The Food I Eat. The menu will be judged on its creativity, as well as taste.