The competition is open to young UK chefs who are keen to show off their culinary talents by designing a three course gourmet menu using British and New Zealand produce. Eight finalists will go forward to the cook off at Westminster Kingsway College in London on Wednesday, April 11, and be judged by a panel of experts including competition founder Peter Gordon, chef proprietor of The Providores & Tapa Room and Kopapa. The winner will be announced later that evening at an official awards ceremony hosted by the NZ High Commissioner in the penthouse suite of New Zealand House, London, where they will be presented with the top prize of a work experience in New Zealand's best restaurants and lodges, plus visits to food producers and wineries as part of their trip. Last year Ben Murphy, commis chef at Pierre Koffmann's Restaurant at The Berkeley, won the challenge, and during his trip to New Zealand he worked at Peter Gordon's award winning Auckland restaurant Dine, world renowned luxury property Huka Lodge, Trinity Hill Vineyard, New Zealand chef Martin Bosley's Yacht Club Restaurant and Wellington's popular Boulcott Street Bistro and Logan Brown. Since then he has gone on to win gold in the WorldSkills Global Challenge and the Spanish Young Chef of the Year competition, where the top prize was a placement in the kitchens of Akelaŕe – one of Spain's best Michelin starred restaurants. This year the competition is supported by the Craft Guild of Chefs and sponsored by award winning airline Air New Zealand, tableware specialists Dudson, Hildon Water, Bramley apples, New Zealand Venison, health and manuka honey suppliers Comvita, Trinity Hill Winery, The Providores & Tapa Room, Bleeding Heart Restaurants and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. Entries for the competition can be submitted up until March 23 2012 and chefs must be aged between 18 and 23 as of December 1 2012, in training or employment and hold a British passport. For more details, visit http://www.craftguildofchefs.org/competitions/uk-nz-culinary-challenge/1 or www.uknzculinarychallenge.com or Twitter UKNZYoungChef and Facebook UKNZCulinaryChallenge