Your chance to shine in the PubChef Awards 2006

The search is on for the best pub chefs in Britain with the launch of this year's PubChef Awards.

This is the second year of our prestigious awards, which challenge pub chefs to prove they are the best in the business through our series of category cook-offs.

There are two overall titles to be won this year Pub Chef of the Year 2006 and Pub Chef Team of the Year 2006. These will be announced at the Morning Advertiser Best Pub Awards in London on 2 February 2006.

There are 12 categories in this year's awards: meat, seafood, game, desserts, pub classics, beer and food, Eastern cuisine, young pub chef, poultry, pub chef team, food from Britain and starters & light bites.

Judges include: Ian McKerracher, former Egon Ronay guide inspector and former chief executive of the Restaurant Association; Sean Hope, head chef at Michelin-starred pub the Olive Branch in Clipsham, Rutland; Hattie Ellis, author of Eating England; David Hancock, editor of Les Routiers Pubs and Inns Guide; and Rupert Clevely, managing director of Geronimo Inns.

Following a paper judging, five finalists for each category will be selected to compete in a category cook-off. In the pub chef team category, four teams will compete in the final. The overall winners of Pub Chef of the Year and Pub Chef Team of the Year will be selected from category winners based on cook-off performance and following site visits to their pubs.

Entering the awards is recommended by last year's winner Neil Clark, head chef at the Linnet in Great Hinton, Wiltshire. He said: 'The publicity from winning the competition has had a really positive effect on business. We've had my winning pork dish on the menu for six months now and it's proving so popular it will probably stay on for the rest of the year.

You can follow the progress of our finalists in PubChef from the October issue. For more information on the awards, see the July issue of PubChef or call Sue Selby on 01293 610 238.