Forces’ chefs to do battle

Press, 8 June 1989, Page 18

Forces’ chefs to do battle

By

DAVE WILSON

The Army, Navy and Air Force are taking traditional inter-service rivalry into the kitchens this month with a cook-off to decide the best chefs in the Armed Forces.

Soup, fish and lamb are among the ingredients of the stove-top battle, which involves 12 chefs. Three teams are training for June 16, when their skills will be put to the test at the Christchurch Town Hall. At stake will be unitpride and the Maggi Cup, the trophy for the best service chefs, competed for each year and at present in Army hands. The tri-service cooking competition will act as a prelude to the national culinary competitions, to be staged in Christchurch on June 17 and 18. One unit determined to

win battle honours for its service is the R.N.Z.A.F. team led by Flying Officer Chris Lund. The team is drawn from Air Force bases and is in training at Wigram, preparing the same dishes each day in the quest for culinary perfection. Flying Officer Lund said each team was divided into units preparing hot and cold dishes. Four meals were prepared for three guinea pig officers, and a judge. The cold team prepared salads, bread rolls, gateaux and canapes, while the hot team was responsible for clear soup, the

entree (grilled fillet ot fish) and the main dish, loin of lamb. On competition day the three service teams will have four hours to prepare and serve their creations, while stewards waiting on the tables will also be in competition for the tri-service Nestles Cup to find the best in their field. Flying Officer Lund described the competition as a cooking equivalent of the inter-base sports competitions, giving the junior chefs a valuable opportune ity to hone their craft away from the daily task of mass-producing meals.