If you?ve been bragging all over Bermuda about your fantastic fish chowder, it?s time to put your money where your mouth is in an annual fish chowder competition.

?It is nearing the last opportunity for Bermudians and residents to enter the Bermuda Fish Chowder Challenge,? warned Graham Redford, managing director of Total Marketing & Communications.

The Bermuda Fish Chowder Challenge is open to all residents of Bermuda, in two categories, professional and amateur.

The professional category is for all chefs and cooks presently working for or associated with a restaurant or hotel on the Island, or now retired or not presently working. The amateur category is for all home cooks and excludes professional chefs now retired or presently not working.

The winning professional chef will be awarded the Gosling Cup and the winning amateur will receive the Outerbridge Cup.

?These cups are grand Waterford Crystal trophies, to be engraved with the names of the winners and displayed prominently in downtown Hamilton year round for all to see who has the Island?s best chowder,? said Mr. Redford.

There will be three preliminary competitions which are open to all.

For each of the preliminary competitions there will be a maximum of four contestants for each category. The winner of each category will then compete in the finals to be held during the Bermuda Gourmet Getaway Viking Village on October 28 for the home cooks and October 29 for the professionals.

The preliminary rounds will be held in various locations. The East Ender Classic will be held during the Market Night celebrations in St. George?s on August 29 starting at 7 p.m. Best of the West will be fought at the Destination Dockyard event on September 5 starting at 8 p.m.

The Central Challenge will take place at Harbour Night on Front Street in Hamilton on September 13 at 7 p.m.

There are three judges, besides the public balloting and the scoring will be a combination of the public?s ballots and the judge?s ballots and all entrants will receive a $125 gift certificate courtesy of The Supermart, upon their completion of the preliminary round.

The winners from each division will receive prizes and will move forward to the finals on October 28 and 29, accompanied by last year?s winners of each division.

Last year, Basil Outerbridge won the amateur division and Sandip Roy of Cambridge Beaches won the professional title.

The trophies will be given out at the Friends of Beard Gala Benefit Dinner to be held at the Fairmont Southampton on Sunday, October 29.

?This is a great opportunity for chefs to showcase their talent in the kitchen, but it is now crunch time,? said Mr. Redford. ?The August 29 Market Night in St. George?s will be the last chance for those people living in the East Parishes.?

Those who would like to participate should either call Kim Selley at 295-2508 or e-mail at kimtotalgroup.bm.