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CookIt! 2010 Call for Entries
Jonathan Woods (25/01/2010)

The Guild of Food Writers is inviting entries for its annual children’s cookery competition CookIt!, which is supported again this year by Gold Top milk.

Calling Young Cooks

To download an entry form please click here.

This year CBBC food adventurer and Gastronuts presenter Stefan Gates (pictured right) is challenging young cooks to ‘Create a dream meal for you and your friends’. Stefan is heading the panel of judges for the competition, which is open to children who were aged from 10 to 14 on Monday 31 August 2009.

Stefan will be joined on the judging panel by another Guild member, Valentine Warner. What To Eat Now presenter and author, Valentine, is a passionate advocate of seasonal food.

The challenge for children taking part in this year’s competition is to let their imaginations run wild as they plan a delicious two-course meal designed to enchant and delight their friends. From all these meals, six finalists will be chosen to come to London to prepare their meals for a panel of judges including Stefan.

This hotly contested competition is a cornerstone of the Guild of Food Writers’ commitment to encouraging the younger generation to have a greater connection with good food.

Stefan, who is a member of the Guild, says, ‘I’m thrilled to be part of CookIt! this year. I love making food that’s fun, interactive and surprising. Mealtimes should be adventurous and the Guild of Food Writers’ CookIt! competition is a fantastic way to get children to explore ingredients and to get creative with their food. I cannot wait to see what the children cook up for this year’s competition!’

The winner of CookIt! 2009, 12-year-old Robbie Main (pictured left) from Lincoln, says ‘Travelling to London last June to take part in the final of the CookIt! competition was very exciting. Hearing my name called out as the winner came as a total surprise! I won a five-day-holiday for my family at a working Jersey dairy farm which included a brilliant cookery course. I was even invited onto Blue Peter for a cooking challenge with Ainsley Harriott!’

CookIt! is supported by Gold Top milk, which is produced by a cooperative of 400 British Jersey and Guernsey farmers.

The competition is open to children who were aged from 10 to 14 on Monday 31 August 2009. Their challenge is to create two dishes - a main meal that shows their imagination and originality and a scrummy dessert, ideally incorporating some milk.

The six finalists will be invited to London, with all expenses paid, on Thursday 10 June 2010 , where in the kitchens of the BBC Good Food Magazine, they will prepare their meals for a panel of judges including Stefan Gates and Valentine Warner.

The closing date for entries is Friday 30 April 2010.

To download an entry form please click here.

Prizes

First Prize A four-night stay for a family of four at Bocaddon Farm, Lanreath, Looe, Cornwall (www.bocaddon.com). The farm is surrounded by rolling hills and winding country lanes, and boasts a play area, spa bath and heated pool – all sheltered from the elements by a sliding cover for water based fun come rain or shine.
The trip will include a guided tour of the farm, which is a family-run dairy farm with fresh farm produce available to the winner including their very own Cornish cheese and dairy as well as welfare-friendly veal. The winner will be able to enjoy farm and country walks and tour the farm grounds to explore the wildlife, birds, country lanes and see the Friesian and Guernsey herds. For those who dare to be a bit more hands on, there are opportunities to try milking cows, collecting eggs and feeding chickens!
The prize will also include a tour of Nick Barclay’s Blue Plate restaurant and a hamper on arrival at Bocaddon Farm (www.blueplatecornwall.com and www.food4myholiday.com). The Blue Plate offers a distinctly different choice of what and where to eat, all under one roof – diners can pop in for a bowl of mussels or a cured meat and local cheese platter to share with friends. Alternatively a full dinner can be enjoyed in the main dining room to make a night of the visit. Blue Plate is about 'food for any mood' featuring the areas finest, freshest produce lovingly prepared and simply presented. No fuss, no foam and no pretention!

Second Prize A Gastronuts workshop with Stefan Gates for the winner and three friends.

Third Prize To be confirmed

Runners up Each runner up will receive Lakeland’s new My Kitchen stick blender: great for whisking, whipping and blending, it comes with a balloon whisk attachment,  
500ml chopping bowl and  
500ml mixing beaker with lid.

To download an entry form please click here.

Notes to Editors

The Guild of Food Writers
The Guild of Food Writers, a professional association of food writers and broadcasters in the UK, has over 380 authors, columnists, freelance journalists and broadcasters amongst its members.
For more information about the Guild of Food Writers or the competition please contact the administrator of the Guild of Food Writers, Jonathan Woods, jonathan@gfw.co.uk. www.gfw.co.uk 

Gold Top Milk 

For more information about Gold Top milk please contact Becky Wong on 020 7580 1770 or email becky@impactagency.co.uk.

To become a fan of Gold Top on Facebook please visit here.

 

Author: Jonathan Woods Email: jonathan@gfw.co.uk

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