It’s time for local chefs to stop hiding in the kitchen and show their true ingredients.

Tickets to the Bermuda Hospitality Institute’s third annual Bermuda’s Rising Chef of the Year competition go on sale today.

BHI executive director Malika Musson said: “A lot of times when you are in a restaurant you don’t get to see what goes on behind the scenes.

With this competition the audience gets to see everything that goes on while the chefs are preparing their dishes.”

The contest is open to professional chefs over the age of 18.

The chefs won’t know what their ingredients will be until 12 days before the competition.

This year’s competitors will be Jonathan Cruzate of Red Steakhouse, Ruban Santhakumar of Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, Michel Christopher Totah, Bradley Wilson, Jaelen Steede and Hans Jacobsen of Fairmont Southampton and David Ndungi and Nilesh Naik of The Reefs. Also competing are Christian Dela Cruz of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Simone Tognetti and Adam Thompson of Tucker’s Point Beach Club and Janelle Williams of Docksider Pub and Restaurant. Semi-finals will be held October 20 to 24 at International Imports on Par-la-Ville Road from 5.45pm to 9pm. Finals will be held on October 28 in the same location at the same time.

Tickets — $95 for the semi-finals; $125 for the finals — are available at International Imports.

Funds raised from the competition go to BHI programmes. For more information go to www.bhi.bm or call International Imports at 292-1661.

For video bios of the chefs see www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKH2O9oNMC1TYavb_f9Vn6gUSiYaq7nTy.