HUNTINGDONSHIRE S first ever food and drink festival is aiming to tantalise taste buds across the district this September, and we want to give our children a chance to get in on the act. The search is now on to find Huntingdonshire s best junior chef – a

HUNTINGDONSHIRE'S first ever food and drink festival is aiming to tantalise taste buds across the district this September, and we want to give our children a chance to get in on the act.

The search is now on to find Huntingdonshire's best junior chef - a youngster who is a whiz in the kitchen and can rustle up a tasty, and importantly, healthy meal.

The competition, which is being run by Huntingdonshire District Council together with The Hunts Post and is sponsored by Anglian Water, is open to school children, aged 11 to 14.

The rules are simple. We want our young chefs to create a two-course menu (courses should be a main and a dessert) using local ingredients and tell us all about it. The slightly trickier part is that the suggested menu will have to cost no more than £10, will need to feed two people, and will have to be nutritious.

The chefs will need to name their dishes, list all the ingredients and give some costings.

Each entry will be judged on its originality, use of local ingredients and, of course, price.

Six of the chefs will then make it through to the real test: the cooking.

And this is where they will need to impress the judges not only with their tasty dishes, but by also taking into consideration hygiene, nutrition, creativity and presentation.

The top junior chef will win the chance to have the menu prepared for him or her and family by a professional chef at one of the district's top restaurants, The Old Bridge in Huntingdon.

"This really is a great chance for children who enjoy cooking to let their creative juices flow," said Deni Darke, HDC economic development officer, and one of the project managers of the Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Festival.

"We expect to receive some very high quality menus that are full of imagination and make the most of all the ingredients the district has to offer."

Collette Nicholls, of Anglian Water added: "Nutrition and health are very important to Anglian Water, which is why we are delighted to be involved with the young chef competition.

"We believe it is important for young people to learn about the importance of nutrition and health, which is why we are running our water for health initiative to encourage school children to drink more water.

"This competition is also a great way for children to learn about hygiene and how to protect the environment by recycling fats and avoiding washing them into the drains."

The competition is also part of the Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Awards, which are due to be launched later this summer and, along with the festival, will celebrate the best of the district's produce and producers.

Entries for the young chef competition should be on A4 paper and should be sent to Young Chef Competition, The Hunts Post, 30 High Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TB.

The deadline for entries is Friday, June 22. The cook-off will take place at Saxongate during the Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Festival which starts on September 8.

INFORMATION: To find out more about the festival visit www.huntsfoodfestival.co.uk. Further details about the Food and Drink Awards will be printed in The Hunts Post.