Amateur cook wanted for Orkney Masterchef competition

Keen amateur cooks are being urged to step up to the hot plate and pit their culinary skills against the professionals in this year’s Orkney MasterChef event.

One local gourmet will be selected to join three full-time Orkney chefs on stage at October’s competition – part of the 2014 Orkney Food Festival – and produce a meal using ingredients from the county.

The event, on October 1, will see each chef prepare a three-course meal within a fully fitted professional kitchen, specially installed in the Orkney Theatre. A panel of judges will sample the culinary creations before the title of Orkney MasterChef 2014 is awarded to the chef deemed to have come up with the best menu on the night.

“We’re really keen for more local folk to put their names forward for the chance to join our professional chefs and take part in what will be a fun competition,” said Edgar Balfour, from event organisers Orkney Food and Drink.

“It’s very important to emphasise that the judging isn’t going to be as brutal as you see on TV, so folk shouldn’t be worried about that element at all. Instead, the event will be a celebration of Orkney’s wonderful food and drink, with a few laughs thrown in along the way.”

Anyone interested can nominate themselves at www.orkneyfoodanddrink.com/orkney-masterchef.

“Once we’ve got a good number of names in the pot, we’ll randomly select someone and let them know by the end of August,” he added.