Who wants to be an MCA?

Candidates are being sought to vie for one of the most prestigious accolades in the restaurant industry.

The newly named Master of Culinary Arts (MCA) - formerly known as the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne (MOGB) - is organised by the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) and is open to experienced chefs, pastry chefs and restaurant managers.

Awarded only every four years, the title has been earned by just 12 people since it was launched in 1987.

These include TV chef and restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson; Steven Doherty, chef-proprietor, the Punchbowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Cumbria; Claire Clark, head pastry chef, Claridge's; and Thierry Tomasin, head sommelier, Le Gavroche, London.

Doherty told the audience at the Claridge's launch of MCA 2000 that receiving the accolade had been the pinnacle of his career. And Keith Stanley, head chef at Langan's Coq d'Or, London, summed up the feelings of candidates: "To be recognised by your industry and your peers in this way has got to be worth the perseverance of every master craftsman." Stanley and his wife Yolande, pastry lecturer at Thames Valley University, are both entering the contest.

Candidates over the age of 26 who want to be considered for the MCA in one of the three disciplines - culinary skills, hotel pastry, and restaurant management - must qualify through entry requirements, regional semi-finals and a final which will take place on 4, 6 and 7 October. The successful candidates will be announced at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at Claridge's hotel, London, on 12 October.

The judges - all Academicians and MCAs - will be led by Keith Podmore of Boodles Club, London. Also on the panel are David Pitchford of Read's restaurant, Faversham; Michel Roux of the Waterside Inn, Bray; Professor John Huber, formerly of Thames Valley University; and Silvano Giraldin, maître d'hôtel, Le Gavroche.