21.03.11 - THE GRAND NATIONAL

City schools' Liverpool Day Cook-Off

News from John Smith’s Grand National Festival
16 March 2011  

City schools’ Liverpool Day Cook-Off
Young chefs from around Liverpool are racing to come up with a signature dish in time for the John Smith’s Grand National Festival.

Teams of school children have submitted recipes to judges including Aintree’s head chef, to win the chance of taking part in a cook-off at the racecourse.

The winning dish will be adopted by Aintree Racecourse and served on Liverpool Day, which opens the three-day meeting on Thursday 7 April.
The competition has been organised by cookery school Can Cook, a social enterprise which encourages people to swap fast food for wholesome, home made meals.
Three shortlisted dishes will undergo a taste test by leading journalists across the region.
The chosen recipe will be published in the Liverpool Day programme on April 7 and the winner will be invited to Aintree’s May race meeting, where the dish will be served.
The Aintree Signature Dish competition has been incorporated into Can Cook’s wider schools competition, which will eventually see one team of Liverpool pupils crowned the Can Cook Schools’ Sessions Competition Winners.
Richard Busfield, Head Chef at Aintree Racecourse, said: “Teaching young people how to cook before they fall into the rut of just eating fast food all the time is so important, which is why both Can Cook’s schools competitions and the Aintree Signature Dish competition are so important.
“As well as giving students the chance to have their recipe served up at future Aintree events, we hope the competition has also inspired them to create recipes that they wouldn’t have come up with otherwise.”
Lucy Parkes from Can Cook said: “Working with Aintree on this important competition has given us the opportunity to encourage even more young people to take up cooking – and we can’t wait to see the winning dish.”
The announcement of the winning Aintree Dish in celebration of Liverpool Day is just one of the many events planned for the day.
Legendary band The Farm are to headline the event, with other bands including the Merseycats, The Paul Kappa Band, Alternative Radio, and a number of new artists from the Threshold Festival. West Everton Super Strings, a youth ensemble supported by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, will also be performing.
As well as non-stop performances on stage in the Equestrian Centre, lots of other attractions around the course will keep the crowds entertained throughout the day and evening.
A new hospitality package, the Sportsman’s Package, has been announced for Liverpool Day. Priced at just £99, the package in the Earth Summit Restaurant includes a visit to each racegoers suite by a racing tipster to mark their racing card and give them some tips on the day’s runners and riders, plus appearances and interviews with the city’s sporting greats.
Finally, race goers will have the opportunity to pose for photos with the Grand National Trophy, and each lady will receive a complimentary Matalan race day goodie bag.
Tickets for all three days of the meeting are still available. To book tickets for the 164th John Smith’s Grand National Meeting at Aintree Racecourse, visit www.aintree.co.uk or call 0844 579 3001. For details on hospitality, call 0151 522 2911.
 

Picture caption: Liverpool schools are competing to create a Liverpool Day Dish for the Grand National and Luke Mahoney and Sarah Roberts, both aged 15, from Fazakerley High School, were down at the Can Cook Studios in Speke to attempt to produce the winning dish, watched by Richard Busfield, head chef at Jockey Club Catering, Aintree Racecourse, who also took the Grand National Trophy along.
For more information call Caroline Kenyon on 07843 243913 or Rachael Tinniswood on 0151 706 9966 or 07846 406487.