Knorr National Chef of the Year finalists announced

The eight finalists for this year's Knorr National Chef of the Year competition have been announced.

Now in its 19th year, the biannual competition, which is run by the Craft Guild of Chefs in partnership with Knorr, will see them compete in a four hour cook-off at this year's Restaurant Show at London's Earl's Court on 7 October. They will be expected to create a four-course menu from a selection of ingredients provided in a mystery basket.

David Kennedy, chef proprietor of Black Door Restaurant in Newcastle; Steve Allen, head chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges; Frederick Forster, head chef at the Ritz Hotel London; and Clark Crawley, sous chef at Barclays Wealth in the capital will all compete in the final.

They will be joined by Simon Hulstone, chef proprietor of The Elephant in Torquay, Devon; Ian Bode, head chef at Limes Restaurant in Derby; Andreas Wingert, senior sous chef at Lucknam Park Hotel in Colerne, Wiltshire; and Brian Canale, head chef at Heritage Portfolio in Edinburgh.

First prize is £10,000, with the winner following in the footsteps of incumbent title holder Eyck Zimmer of the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

Knorr National Chef semi-finalists unveiled >>

Eyck Zimmer to leave Manchester's Lowry for Portugal >>

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.