Cookery book that's one in a million

The sale of one million copies of a leading culinary textbook is being celebrated with a competition in which catering students can win up to £850-worth of prizes. First published in 1963, Practical Cookery, written by Victor Ceserani and Ronald Kinton, quickly became - and still is - the standard textbook in UK catering colleges.

The authors were helped in the seventh edition in 1990 by Professor David Foskett, associate dean of the school of tourism, hospitality and leisure at Thames Valley University.

For the competition, students are invited to submit a three-course menu, using recipes from Practical Cookery, together with reasons for their choice of dishes. The dishes must be costed together, with the cost per cover and suggested selling price.

Six finalists will prepare, cook and serve four portions of the main course and sweet at a two-hour cook-off at Thames Valley University, Ealing, west London, on 2 December. Judges will include Ceserani and Kinton, and celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.

The winner will receive £500, £100-worth of Hodder & Stoughton Educational books and £250 for his or her college. Runners-up will receive a selection of books.

Entries should be sent to Becky Willis, Hodder & Stoughton Educational, Freepost NW 6148, London NW1 0YS, to arrive by 31 October. For further information, contact her on 0171-873 6247.