Nigel Robinson, of Harrogate, winner of the 2004 Professional Chef Category

Culinary skills at their finest will be in full force at the Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor Restaurant, Leeds on Monday (17 October) when the finalists in the 2005 Great Yorkshire Cookery Competition don their aprons for the cook off.

Three amateur and three professional chefs have been selected from a host of entries from enthusiasts keen to promote the value of using Yorkshire produce in their dishes. Recipes submitted range from mouth-watering venison to robust Barnsley chop to a delicate cobble cake with Ampleforth apples and creamy Wensleydale cheese.

The finalists are, Professional Chef Category: Robert Ramsden of The General Tarleton, Ferrensby, Knaresborough; Robert Taylor of Swinton Park, Masham and Michael Lloyd of Bettys, Ilkley. Amateur Chef Category: Michael Pannett of Meanwood, Leeds, Valerie Messenger of Linton, Wetherby and Julie Bradbury of Silkstone Common, Barnsley.

The competition is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, best known as the organiser of the annual Great Yorkshire Show. The winners of the two sections will create their dishes in public for the first time when they join the line up of chefs in the cookery theatre at the Countryside Live Food and Farming Fair on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October.

The aim of the competition is to raise awareness of the importance of using good local ingredients and encourage both professional and amateur chefs to make the most of the diversity of the region's fare. The brief is to prepare a nutritious healthy dish costing £10 or less that best represents “Say Yes to Yorkshire Produce.” The rationale behind the choice of ingredients and the dish created are required as a 100 word written submission.

Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive of the Society said: “This will be the second year we've run the competition and it's true to say that not only do we have some of the finest food produced in the county, but we also have some of the finest chefs. I certainly don't envy the judges in having to choose the two winners!” They each receive a commemorative plaque, a cheque for £250 as well as the title of their category for a year.

Judges are: Elaine Lemm, Food & Wine Editor, Yorkshire Life Magazine, Richard Allen, Head Chef, Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor Restaurant, Leeds, Karen Carlyle, Chief Executive, Yorkshire & Humber Regional Food Group and Fiona Movley of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Tickets for Countryside Live are on sale now and cost £7 for Adults and £6 for concessions, with savings for tickets booked in advance. There is free admission for children. The show opens at 9.30am each day and closes at 5pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.

For further information please check out the website www.countrysidelive.co.uk or call on 01423 541000.

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