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A TASTE OF THE ORIENT OR A BATTLE OF THE BALTIS - THE SEARCH IS ON FOR CROYDON'S TOP CHEFS

Croydon Council has launched two competitions in search of the borough's best curry chef and the best oriental chef.

The popular Croydon Curry Chef of the Year award is back for 2007. Hotly contested among local Indian restaurateurs, the competition has now been running for nine years.

And this year the borough is launching a brand new competition to find the Croydon's Oriental Chef of the Year. The award covers all oriental style food premises within Croydon, including Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian and Thai food restaurants, noodle bars, take-aways, bars and cafes.

To become Croydon Curry Chef or Croydon Oriental Chef for 2007 top chefs from local food business compete to create a mouth-watering three course menu: a starter, a main course, and rice, naan or noodle dish, depending of the cuisine.

Good hygiene practices are also rewarded as well as the culinary chefs skills of the chef.

Those selected will go through to the finals for each category, which take place next month at Croydon College. At each final there will be a cook-off for the title plus lively demonstrations of Asian and Oriental cooking.

If you manage or own a local food business that produces Asian, Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Indian, Chinese, Japanese or Thai food and you would like to enter your chef for this prestigious award please contact the council's food safety team on 020 870 5437 or email food.safety@croydon.gov.uk

Cllr Steve O'Connell, deputy leader and cabinet member for safety and cohesion, said: "Croydon Curry Chef of the Year is a prestigious competition which celebrates the quality and variety of this popular dish. It has created a real buzz among local Indian restaurateurs.
"And with so many fantastic oriental restaurants in the borough as well, I'm delighted that we have now created a new award to find Croydon Oriental Chef of the Year. So if you think you've got what it takes to win, then make sure you register - there's still time to enter."