SHANGHAI, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- METRO Cash & Carry today announced the launch of its first "2014 METRO Canteen Chef Competition" in Beijing, in partnership with the China Cuisine Association (CCA). The first of its kind both for METRO and China's HoReCa industry, the contest is a national competition to target canteen chefs, encouraging them to create a wider variety of more flavorful, safe, and fresh dishes.
"For many years, we have been a trusted partner for HoReCa customers. We have rich experience and in-depth understanding of the needs of canteen staff in terms of food safety, assortment, and cost control. We fully support our HoReCa customers by providing them with one-stop purchasing solutions and safe, traceable, high-quality, and competitively-priced products," said Mr. Jeroen de Groot, President of METRO China. "With the Canteen Chef Competition, we hope to offer canteen chefs a unique opportunity to draw inspirations and to honor their culinary skills."
The contest has already attracted over 230 contestants from over 50 cities across the country.
Delicious, fresh ingredients meet exceptional culinary skill
Unlike other culinary competitions that only emphasize creativity and elaborate presentation, the Canteen Chef Competition requires contestants to use everyday seasonings and ingredients, as well as basic kitchen facilities, to prepare Chinese canteen-style dishes within an hour and forty-five minutes. Since running a successful canteen depends upon effectively managing the cost of every meal, one of the competition's most important evaluation criteria is "cost control." The contest also encourages chefs to efficiently use all ingredients to minimize waste. Additionally, the judges will also assess dishes according to flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional balance, etc.
After a four-month round of selection contests in eight different regions nationwide, in October the top 25 chefs will compete in Shanghai for a first-place prize of culinary journey to France. Runners-up will also receive recognition for participating.
Consistent innovation in food safety practices
HoReCa is one of METRO's core target customer groups since its entering the China market 18 years ago. The wholesaler's highly-efficient, one-stop purchasing solutions, innovative value-added services, and dedicated pursuit of food safety and quality, have all made METRO a leader in the canteen industry, winning the trust of over 222,000 hotels, restaurants, canteens, and catering companies.
Canteen procurement staff face a variety of challenges, including controlling costs in response to changing market prices, purchasing high-quality product assortments, and receiving convenient delivery services. With long experience serving HoReCa customers and in-depth consumer insight, METRO provides a wide range of high-quality product assortments, satisfying its customers' one-stop purchasing needs. The wholesaler offers canteen procurement staff price advantages based on its powerful purchasing capabilities and sustainable supply. METRO's Star Farm traceability system covers the entire supply chain "from farm to market" and covers more than 3,000 traceable products. METRO's delivery service follows international HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards, ensuring cold chain throughout the entire delivery process. All these help to solve problems procurement staff face and effectively support their daily operations.