| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Angelyn DeYoung |
| June 21, 2008 | (406) 444-3144 |
Chefs Challenged to Create Entrees Featuring Montana
BIG SKY, Mont. — Montana chefs are invited to match culinary skills and recipes featuring Montana products for a chance at bragging rights in the Culinary Excellence Awards competition this fall at Big Sky.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is sponsoring the Montana Chef Competition on September 27, 2008, at Buck's T-4 Lodge in Big Sky. Chefs from throughout the state can contact the department or visit its website, http://agr.mt.gov, to download the information needed to submit recipes featuring Montana products.
"Use of Montana products in restaurants is popular with customers. This event enables Montana chefs to connect with local food manufacturers to enhance menus and strengthen the market for food grown in Montana," says Ron de Yong, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. "Reducing the need to transport food items from other states helps reduce our carbon footprint and adds value to our agricultural industry."
Recipes submitted by August 22 will be reviewed and finalists selected to participate in the competition. Area and national chefs will judge the recipes on originality, flavor and taste as well as creative use of Montana products.
"Authentic local cuisine is an important part of the vacation experience," says Betsy Baumgart, administrator for Travel Montana, the state’s official tourism office. "Vacationers recognize that food can be a delicious way to tell the story of a place -- its geography, its history, and its people."
According to the Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research at the University of Montana, restaurant and bar expenditures account for 21 percent or $656 million of out-of-state visitor spending.
Partners for the competition include Travel Montana, Montana Chefs Association, Chefs & Cooks of Montana, Chefs Collaborative, Sysco Food Services of Montana, Food Services of America -Montana, and the Montana Restaurant Association.
For more information, visit agr.mt.gov, or contact Angelyn DeYoung, Montana Department of Agriculture marketing officer, at (406) 444-2402 or by email at agr@mt.gov
