Search begins for the UK's top Sherry-inspired sommelier and chef teams with the launch of Copa Jerez 2018 

Chefs and sommeliers at restaurants the length and breadth of the UK are currently putting their heads together and combining their skills to create an inventive Sherry-themed menu that will hopefully catch the judges' eyes at the UK heat of the 2018 Copa Jerez.

The bi-annual competition, which is now in its eighth year, is organised by Sherry Wines, and invites chef and sommelier teams from the UK to devise a three-course meal that will complement and showcase Sherry wines' versatility. The only proviso is that Sherry must feature as the paired wine for each course and as an ingredient in at least one course, although past contestants have taken the theme much further.

All entries will be evaluated by a panel of food and wine experts, with the five top teams invited to take part in the 'live' Copa Jerez Final, which is being held in the Competition Theatre at the Restaurant Show at Olympia London, on October 1. Here, the teams will be required to cook their Sherry-inspired menu in front of a panel of judges and an audience.

The winning team receives a £500 cash prize, an all-expenses paid trip to the Sherry region of Jerez, and will be invited to represent the UK at the International Competition of Gastronomy and Sherry Pairing, which will be held in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain in 2019, where they will compete alongside finalists from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, United States and Spain.

Commenting on this year's search to find the UK's top Sherry and food pairing menu, international chair-judge Beltran Domecq, president of the Consejo Regulador de Jerez y Sanlucar de Barrameda, said: “We are very fortunate to attract an extremely high calibre of entries every year that we have hosted Copa Jerez in the UK, and I know this year will not be different. The food pairings always delight us, and show how well our competitors understand Sherry and its culinary versatility. I can't wait to see what we discover this year.”

Last year's winning team were from Dutch restaurant Podium onder de Dom, with chef Leon Mazairac and sommelier Goos van den Berg creating a menu that comprised a starter of oysters with green olive gelée and sardine crème, dressed with Madame Jeannette oil and Iberian ham sauce, paired with Manzanilla Pasada La Goya; the main course consisted of a Dutch rabbit crépinette seasoned with massala spices and carrot and orange cream, matched with Oloroso El Cerro; while for dessert, they presented caramel and porcini flor ice cream with a Sherry vinegar and Jerez brandy reduction on aged Oudwijker cheese, which was paired with a Medium Mons Urium.

ENDS

Editors' notes:

Full details of Copa Jerez 2018 can be found on sherry.wine/copa-jerez

• The closing date for entries is 31st August, 2018
• Join the conversation: @SherryWinesUK #copajerezUK

For more information on the Copa Jerez 2018, contact:
Angeline Bayly, Campaign Director, Sherry Wines UK
Email: angeline@bespokedrinksmedia.com Tel: 01430 240147 or 07780 708454