Seafood Scotland today launched its search to find the 'Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year', with a competition aimed at chefs under 23 on 30th June 2009. The prize for the winner is a specially commissioned trophy, a week's work experience with top seafood chef Roy Brett, plus the opportunity to cook the winning dishes at a Ministerial dinner.

The competition is part of a wider package of measures designed to encourage greater consumption of Scottish seafood, with key messages including Healthy Eating, Sustainable Supply, Responsible Fishing and Provenance.

Chefs must submit recipes for two portions of a starter and a main dish, choosing from a list of Scottish seafood that includes lesser-used species including hake, megrim, razor clams and herring, as well as favourites such as crab, scallops and langoustines. Judges will be looking for competitors to show imagination in their choice of recipe ingredients, for use of seasonal Scottish produce, and for skill in preparation, cooking and presentation.

The recipes will be paper judged by a panel from the Federation of Chefs Scotland, who will choose six finalists to take part in a cook-off at the end of June.

To give the finalists a greater understanding of the seafood industry, they will be invited to join a trip to the northeast of Scotland, with overnight stay and seafood supper in the company of fishermen. This will be followed by an early morning tour of Peterhead fish market, visits onboard fishing vessels, and a tour around several seafood processing factories.

The deadline for submission of entries is Friday 5th June, and full details and an entry form can be downloaded from the SFS website, www.seafoodscotland.org, by clicking here, or from the Federation of Chefs Scotland website, www.scottishchefs.com.

Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Our new seafood campaign recognises the value of fish in a balanced diet – it's great value for money and can deliver major health benefits.

"I asked Seafood Scotland to launch a young seafood chef competition to recognise and encourage the skill, talent and innovation which we have in abundance as a nation. We will publish the successful candidates' delicious recipes on a dedicated website, providing consumers with a one stop source of advice on buying and cooking seafood.

"And we are also working with the media and retailers to help promote seafood and demonstrate that it is a delicious, healthy, simple and cost effective option."

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