Contract caterer wins Knorr Blue Dragon recipe competition

Peter Joyner, a food development director from Elior UK, has been crowned winner of the Knorr Blue Dragon recipe competition.

Joyner beat off four other finalists in the cook-off held in the Knorr Kitchen at Unilever Food Solutions and impressed the judges - Ian Pengelley, head chef at Gilgamesh, and Wilson Chung, executive chef from AB World Foods - who scored his Malaysian Chicken Cakes as the most creative, original and authentic dish, securing him the prize of a culinary trip to Thailand.

Joyner said: "It was an honour to make it though to the final and I'm delighted that I produced the winning dish. The competition was tough but I couldn't be happier, and very much look forward to the experience of cooking in Thailand."

Chung commented: "It's clear all the finalists put a lot of hard work into their meals and the variety of dishes is testament to the versatility of the Knorr Blue Dragon Pastes. The winning dish was original, very healthy and nutritious - one I'll certainly be trying for myself."

The prize includes a culinary tour to Thailand with three nights' accommodation in Bangkok and five nights in Phuket. Joyner will enjoy four professional masterclasses from expert chefs in both cities, with daily trips to the local market to source their ingredients, as well as going on a private fishing trip.

Sarah Branagan, category manager for sauces at Unilever Food Solutions, said: "All finalists showed remarkable creativity and demonstrated that these professional pastes are versatile ingredients for all Oriental-inspired occasions. It was a gripping cook-off and all finalists should be very proud of their achievements.

All recipe competition entries are available for the industry to try for themselves on the Chefs' Gallery on the Knorr Blue Dragon website: www.knorrbluedragon.co.uk.

By Lisa Jenkins

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