Mars Foodservice has today announced that the Uncle Ben’s Professional & Dolmio Professional Foodservice Student Catering Challenge will be returning for its fourth consecutive year with an on-trend ‘Free-From World Food’ theme.
The highly anticipated challenge provides the perfect opportunity for the next generation of chefs to showcase their talent. Not only this, but this year’s exciting ‘Free-From World Food’ theme encourages students to broaden their creative and culinary skill-set, thus helping them prepare for a career in the modern, dietary-driven catering world as Alison Smith, Global product developer for Mars Food, goes on to explain:
“With greater awareness of healthy eating amongst consumers, free-from dishes are no longer niche items on a menu only suited to those with an allergy or intolerance. Instead, lifestyle conscious consumers are opting for free-from dishes out of choice.
This rise in demand has forced chefs to re-think their menus to offer a more diverse range of globally inspired free-from dishes. In light of this, the next Uncle Ben’s Professional & Dolmio Professional Foodservice Student Catering Challenge infuses the booming free-from trend with the diverse theme of world foods. We believe that this synergised theme will engage a wide range of students thanks to the fact that both of these trends have largely being driven by consumers their age.”
In order to enter, this year’s entrants must design two free-from world inspired dishes that use Uncle Ben’s Professional & Dolmio Professional foodservice products. The first dish can be a starter or dessert, and the second dish, a main course. Students can be as inventive as they wish with their dishes so long as they are suitable for at least one free-from diet and take inspiration from at least one cuisine.
A panel of judges will then paper-judge each entry, shortlisting the best ‘Free-From World Menus’. These entrants will then be invited to attend the Grand Final Cook-Off, taking place at the UK’s largest Hospitality exhibition – HRC - held at the ExCel, London - March 2020. The live Grand Final will give students the opportunity to present their culinary skills in front of a host of industry professionals, as they battle it out for the title of ‘Best Starter or Dessert’, ‘Best Main Course’ and ‘Best Free-From World Menu.’
The Winner of each category will receive £200 of amazon vouchers to spend on professional catering equipment, with the winner of the ‘Best Free-From World Menu’ receiving £400 of Amazon Vouchers as well as a ‘behind-the-scenes’ experience at a top UK restaurant! Each finalist will also be given a certificate and personalised Uncle Ben’s Professional® & Dolmio Professional Foodservice Student Catering Challenge chefs jacket.
As if that wasn’t enough, lecturers that enter 3 or more students into this year’s challenge will also receive a foodie gift hamper containing Uncle Ben’s Professional® & Dolmio Professional Foodservice products.