Think you can cook professionally? Can you handle the heat in the kitchen? Then Eastbourne's Langham Hotel is running the competition just for you:

Masterchef winner Peter Bayless has given his seal of approval to a brand new event taking place at the Langham Hotel in aid of St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Dish it up and Dine will be judged by Peter, Mike Titherington, Langham Hotel’s executive chef, and Keith Mitchell, executive chef at The Grand Hotel.

Peter, who won the prestigious BBC Masterchef programme in 2006, visited the hospice to talk with staff and volunteers ahead of the competition and was clearly excited about the upcoming event.

He said, “The Langham Hotel has provided an absolutely wonderful opportunity for people who love cooking and have a feeling for the 
work of St Wilfrid’s to bring those things together, get involved and 
have a marvellous time. The heats will be exciting.

“A lot of people are enthusiastic amateur cooks and cook genuinely great meals at home – this is their chance to go into the different and challenging world of professional cooking and see if they can handle the heat. It’ll be fun for them and a great way to test their skills – there is no better proving ground than a working kitchen like the Langham. I’m looking forward to seeing a diverse and talented group at the heats and the final.”

Mike Titherington, Langham Hotel’s executive chef, added, “For people who enter this competition it will be a big test because it’s a professional kitchen. The competition kitchens you see in shows like Masterchef are designed to be shot for television but this kitchen is the real deal, with other chefs cooking around them and the hustle and bustle of daily kitchen life. It’s atmospheric, it’s exciting and we can’t wait to welcome the entrants. “They’ll be raising money for St Wilfrid’s with their entry fee and enjoying the tutelage of the team here, while proving to themselves that they can cut the mustard.”

The local competition is an excellent opportunity for keen cooks to get competitive in a Masterchef-style event, while raising money for the town’s hospice. There will be competitive heats of two hours pitting nine cooks against each other, the participants will have access to limited, specially-selected ingredients which they must turn into a winning dish.

The winner of each heat is invited to the final and judged by the star studded panel of experienced chefs.

The competitive heats cost £100 to enter and will take place on the following dates:

January 23 and 30 between 2pm and 4pm.

February 6,13 and 20 between 2pm and 4pm.

The final will take place on February 27 at 2pm to 4pm at the Langham Hotel.

The overall winner of Dish It Up and Dine will receive a commemorative trophy presented by chief judge, Peter Bayless, and an overnight stay with dinner for two people, courtesy of The Langham Hotel, Eastbourne. The Langham is also covering all costs, meaning the entry fees will go to St Wilfrid’s as a donation.

Neil Kirby, Langham Hotel owner, said, “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting St Wilfrid’s Hospice and running this event in the Langham.

“We’re sure that there will be some fantastic participants joining us, making inventive, playful dishes. Hopefully the pressure will add to the sense of occasion and make it even more special for the hospice, us and everyone taking part.

“The final itself will be a really great occasion and we’re looking forward to an audience buying tickets and joining us on the day, to watch the heat-winning chefs compete under the eye of Peter and Mike.”

St Wilfrid’s Hospice is a registered charity in East Sussex serving a population of 235,000 from Eastbourne, Polegate, Pevensey, Seaford, Hailsham, Heathfield, Uckfield and everywhere in between. It costs more than £13,000 a day to run all the services provided by St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

The hospice team supports over 1,500 local people with life-limiting illness and their families every year and all care is free of charge.

As a charity, it receives 30 percent of its funding from the NHS but local charitable donations fund the rest of the cost of running the hospice.

St Wilfrid’s Hospice’s vision is of a community where people talk openly about dying, live well until the end of their lives and where nobody dies alone, afraid or in pain.

Vist www.stwhospice.org/dish-dine to find out mnore an apply for the event. Alternatively, call Simon Cosham, corporate fundraiser at St Wilfrid’s, on 01323 434230. For bookings and tickets call the Langham Hotel on 01323 731451.