THREE top chefs battled it out in the kitchen for the title of Christchurch Food Festival's professional chef of the year contest.

The competition, which was held at the Neff Cookery Theatre at Purewell Electrical in Somerford, saw three finalists - Adam Hart and Luke Phillips from Chewton Glen and Craig McColm from The Jetty.

The trio had won through to the final by producing the best three course menu at the heats held at Bournemouth and Poole College.

Now it was time for them to show their professional skills, cooking a flat omelette, a folder omelette a poached duck egg and béarnaise sauce.

Competition organiser, David Badley, director of the Christchurch Food Festival CIC, said: “The finalists had already shown that they had the creativity to come up with inventive menus when they took part in the heats at the College, they now had to go back to basics and show the judges how well they could tackle some special culinary skills.

"All three of them equipped themselves well producing the dishes within the timeframe given.

”We would like to thank Purewell Electrical for allowing us to use the facilities in their prestigious cookery theatre which was a fitting venue for these talented chefs to perform in.”

The winner will be announced at a prestigious black-tie awards event at The Kings Arms on Monday May 18 and presented with their prize of a stay in the five-star Royal Mansour Hotel in Marrakesh.

The prize will be presented by the Christchurch Food Festival CIC in association with Jean Claude Messant, Managing Director of the Royal Mansour Hotel.