Focus ASIAN JUNIOR CHEFS CHALLENGE Asian cuisine Proving your worth with
The clock is ticking towards 12th
June, the
deadline for entries to The Asian Junior Chefs Challenge, the ground- breaking competition organised by The Master Chefs of Great Britain
The Challenge wants to encourage full- time, UK resident students to show off their knowledge, skills and appreciation of all the cuisines of Asia; from Japan in the Far East to Pakistan in the west and including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal. It is the brainchild of Master Chef of Great Britain Fellow Cyrus Todiwala OBE, chef patron of Café Spice Namasté and Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, who, like a number of his peers in the Asian food industry, is concerned about the depletion of talent for Asian cuisine owing to the government’s stringent immigration controls. Considering the sector is worth £2.5bn and is the purveyor of arguably some of Britain’s most favourite food, as far as Todiwala and the Master Chefs of Great Britain are concerned, no stone must be left unturned when it comes to attracting tomorrow’s chefs into the economic powerhouse – not to mention the innovative and versatile playground that is Asian cuisine.
f 64 June 2013
“This competition has been my dream for years,” Todiwala says. “I was thrilled when Clive Roberts, a great chef and chairman of The Master Chefs of Great Britain, offered to be involved. Students will be able to show off not just their skills in cooking Asian food, but also their deeper understanding of such key issues as sustainability, provenance and the influence of culture on cuisine.
“Remember, the world is looking to the East, while Asian cuisine continues to be in demand in Britain. So if you’re a chef who knows how to cook Asian cuisine the Asian way, can you imagine the doors that will open to you in the future? What are you waiting for?” In fact, a number of colleges and universities across the UK are already gearing up teams of
abulous prizes await all entrants to the Challenge, but one grand prize of a ‘money can’t buy’ culinary voyage to India, taking in Bombay, Poona and Delhi – including return fl ights and hotel accommodation throughout – is reserved for the lucky team and their lecturer.
three students, plus a lecturer, to compete in the creation of an outstanding four-course Asian menu. In order to show the diversity of Asian cuisine, only one dish – the main course – has to be Indian. There are no age limits to entry and any full-time student can enter, as long as he or she is a UK resident.
The final cook-off will be held on 20th October
at the Hilton London Heathrow T5, which will be followed by a Gala Dinner when the winners will be announced.
‘Home-grown’ chef talent is so integral to the survival of the UK’s Asian food industry that the inaugural Asian Junior Chefs Challenge has managed to attract significant sponsorship in its very first year. Carlson Rezidor, Carisma, Cobra Beer, Hilton London Heathrow T5, Oliver Harvey, Panasonic, Ritu, Schwartz and Tilda, as well as Café Spice Namasté and Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, are supplying everything from ingredients and catering supplies to venues, uniforms and prizes. The message is clear: Asian food is big business, and whoever wins The Asian Junior Chefs Challenge will have a big future ahead.
For more information and an entry form, contact Sue McGeever at
masterchefs@msn.com.
Photo by Nitin Kapoor
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