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Could You be the New Red Hot Sauce Master?
Catering students who have the bottle are invited to enter a nationwide challenge to create a red hot menu for a professional kitchen using Heinz Tomato Ketchup as a key ingredient.
Heinz Foodservice has joined forces with the Craft Guild of Chefs and City & Guilds to present The Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cook-Off 2011, aimed at full-time catering students aged 18-22 in their second year of college or above.
To enter, contenders must create a recipe for both a starter and main course using market leading Heinz Tomato Ketchup, one of which should be a classic with a twist and the other, an original and innovative contemporary dish, both of which must be good profit-makers (see entry form for details)
From paper entries submitted, 10 finalists will be chosen and invited to a cook-off on Wednesday 13th January 2011 at The Sheffield College (
www.sheffcol.ac.uk), where they have 1 hour 30 minutes to produce four covers of each course.
A panel of distinguished judges will choose The Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cook-Off champion, based on use of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, originality of recipe and practicality when reproduced in a commercial kitchen, presentation, culinary skills, working methods and overall balance.
As well as seeing their name up in lights, the winner will receive £2000 cash and the coveted chance to compete in a high profile competition with the Craft Guild of Chefs. They will also receive a year’s free membership with the leading chef’s association in the UK.
Scott McKinnon, brand manager for Heinz Foodservice, said the challenge gave young chefs with a dollop of imagination the chance to explore the versatility of the much-loved, trusted sauce.
"For years, Heinz Tomato Ketchup has been seen solely as a side of plate accompaniment," he said. "However, there is so much that can be created from it back of house, from starters to desserts, and the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cook-Off gives young chefs an opportunity to explore this versatility. At the same time, they are recognised for their originality, skill and flair by the top culinary association in the UK, which can open many doors in the industry."Second and third place runners-up will each win £500 and £250 worth of Russums vouchers (respectively) and a year’s membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs. The college that submits the winning entry will receive £1,000 towards training facilities, whilst the lecturer of the winning student receives £100 of Russums vouchers.
The competition aims to invigorate and inspire back of house recipes using Heinz Tomato Ketchup, which is currently starring in the ‘It Has To Be Heinz’, the biggest retail and foodservice campaign from Heinz in the last five years, which shows caterers remain fiercely loyal to the brand because of their own beliefs or because they do not want to alienate customers(1).
According to the survey of UK caterers conducted by market analyst Cambridge Direction(1), Heinz Tomato Ketchup loyalists perceive the iconic Heinz best seller to be the ‘gold standard’ and believe there is no better tasting product available.
Heinz Tomato Ketchup gets its rich flavour and thick consistency from specially chosen seeds that yield high-pulp, low-water fruits, no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or thickeners. Carefully sun-ripened, these are then turned into the famed red sauce.
The closing date for entering the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cook-Off 2011 is 30th November 2010 and finalists will be notified on or around 15th December 2010. For each entry received, Heinz Foodservice will also donate £10 to PACE
http://www.keepinpace.org (maximum 100 entries).
For an entry form and terms and conditions, visit
www.craftguildofchefs.org/competitions.asp.
References:
1. Cambridge Direction was commissioned by Heinz Foodservice to conduct qualitative research into caterers and condiments, involving three group discussions with caterers from Thames Ditton, Surrey, Bradford and Chelmsford and six depth interviews with caterers from Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire between 13th October and 10th November 2009. These results revealed a broader view of the Heinz brand as a whole and helped formed the backbone of ‘It Has To Be Heinz’.
When asked why they used Heinz Tomato Ketchup, caterer responses included;
"I don’t want to buy anything else but Heinz. Everyone knows what it tastes like."
"…with a cheaper product you use more of it and the end product suffers as well."
"Because it’s the most popular brand."
"Everyone knows Heinz, everyone likes Heinz. It’s a well known brand."
"If you had two brands out in the sachets, the same product, the Heinz one would be emptied first."
"I don’t know about complaints but you’d get comments if you don’t."
"I have to use Heinz sachets FOH, it’s what they expect, it has to be branded."
"Everyone knows the taste, they’re used to the taste…so they don’t like change."
It’s the best tasting product available
"The others are vinegary."
"When we’ve tried to change it, people are not happy. Lots of complaints."
"It’s the quality of the product."
I use Heinz and wouldn’t try anything else, it’s just not for me (non-Heinz ketchup), not for my company."
2. Heinz is voted the most-loved food brand in the UK and second best food brand in the world (FreshMinds survey 2009 and Interbrand Best Global Brands 2009)
3. ACNielsen DW data, 52wk to March 08
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