AFW's chairman Nick Scade, said: "It's vital that there is effective communication between the front-of-house team and the kitchen as it's the only way customers will receive truly impressive service and get the best food and wine matches possible. The service in many restaurants often suffers through lack of simple communication – it's vital that at all times one team knows what the other is doing." The Academy's Gastronomy Team of the Year competition, now in its second year, is designed to highlight the importance of a good working relationship between kitchen and front-of-house staff. Entries are invited from chef/waiter teams from restaurants of any size and style. They will be asked to impress a panel of judges with the planning and serving of a two-course meal with accompanying wines, demonstrating careful consideration of ingredients, seasonality, balance of flavours, with a choice of wines that genuinely complement the food. Entries will initially be judged on answers to a questionnaire that may be researched. Successful teams will then be asked to send in written menu submissions with the chef required to outline the ingredients and preparation method for the dishes and the waiter or wine waiter to explain the choice of wines. Entries will also be assessed on presentation and the theory and reasoning behind the food and wine combination. The best team from each of the five regions – The South, London, Wales & The Midlands, The North, and Scotland - will then be invited to compete for the top accolade during a practical 'cook and serve' final on 19th July 2010 at Westminster Kingsway College, London. The winning team will receive a 10-day trip, courtesy of Discover the Origin, to the three regions involved including Burgundy, Parma and the Douro Valley to deepen their understanding of the history and provenance behind the products in the PDO campaign. Please contact the Academy of Food & Wine on 020 8661 4646 for an entry form, or download one from www.afws.co.uk. The closing date for entries is 26th February 2010.