Junior chefs from Bermuda will have the chance to showcase their talents with the introduction of a new competition during the second annual Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival, it was announced at a Press conference yesterday.

The Junior Culinary Competition will put junior chefs in the spotlight on November 12 when they will prepare two types of hors d?oeuvres for 400 people at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel. The competitors will be judged by both professional culinarians and the audience attending the event.

The winner will fly to Chicago in May, 2005, to compete for Bermuda in the National Restaurant Association?s student competition, courtesy of the competition?s sponsor, Butterfield/AAdvantage Platinum MasterCard.

Total Marketing & Communications Limited managing director Graham Redford said: ?One of our main goals in organising this year?s festival was to promote the Island?s culinary talent and the creation of this competition is designed to encourage that. The ability to frame it as a competition with international involvement is an added bonus.?

?We?re very proud to be able to partner with MasterCard and American Airlines in sponsoring the junior competition portion of the Culinary Arts Festival,? said Alan Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Butterfield Bank.

?Culinary Arts is a highly specialised profession that requires years of dedication and practice to master.

?We?re thrilled our sponsorship will enable these junior participants to showcase their culinary skills and receive the constructive feedback they need to get the most out of this educational experience.?

The finalists for the event are limited to four teams of three consisting of:

A senior chef who will act as the team coach.

A first-year assistant chef who will assist in preparation.

The principal competitor ? a culinarian with either more than one year and less than three years full-time industry work experience, a second or third year student enrolled in an accredited post secondary culinary education programme or an American Culinary Federation registered apprentice in their second or third year.

The festival takes place from November 11 to 16 featuring top chefs including Jody Adams of Rialto in Boston, Tom Colicchio of Craftbar in New York, Jack McDavid of Jack?s Firehouse in Philadelphia and Tom Valenti of Ouest in New York.