Chefs are one of the key target audiences of the campaign, as they have an important role in the decision-making process of purchasing and using different ingredients, including pork. In order to enlarge the pool of high-ranking chefs aware of the characteristics and benefits of using EU Pork from Spain and Portugal, the campaign is currently holding its yearly cooking competition, in collaboration with Wangsen Cooking School.

Thirty chefs in total, from Suzhou, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, are participating in the regional qualifying rounds, which started on November 30^th in Suzhou and will run until January 7^th in Guangzhou. Each qualifying round will lead to the selection of two winners, which will compete in the final to earn the title of From Farm to Fork Campaign Ambassador and collaborate in the promotion of EU pork from Spain and Portugal during 2022.

During the competitions, participating chefs use four selected pork cuts in open cooking stations, creating delicious and innovative recipes. The event is run with the cooperation of a master of ceremonies, who goes through the key merits of EU pork for the audience, comprised also of chefs and interested professionals, to learn more about the characteristics of EU pork, including safety, quality, sustainability, and animal welfare.

Participants are selected among head chefs from high-ranking restaurants and international hotels, and competition judges include experienced five-star hotel chefs as well as a well-known food bloggers and KOLs.

Apart from the taste of their recipes and their plating skills, participants are judged on their dish introduction, which includes the cut used and its characteristics, favouring the knowledge about EU pork among professional attendees.

In the first regional competition held in Suzhou on November 30^th, the 10 contestants used different parts of high-quality and safe EU pork from Spain and Portugal to compose creative Chinese and Western style dishes.

The two winners were Wu Zhaobing, within the Chinese cuisine category, who cooked braised Spanish pork loin with spinach, and Duan Xiaobin, within the European cuisine category, who delighted judges and attendees with his pan-fried Spanish pork loin roll with red wine sauce. These two participants successfully qualified and will travel to Guangzhou on December 16th for the grand final of the competition.

The second regional competition was celebrated in Hangzhou on December 3^rd, the selected winners were Jin Chao, with a dish of slow-roasted Spanish pork ribs with homemade cherry sauce and berry salad, and Hong Yang who cooked an innovative creation of chestnut pork loin.

Two more chefs will secure a seat for the competition’s grand final during the last qualifying round in Guangzhou, which will take place on January 5^th, and all six winners will be in Guangzhou for the final on January 7^th.