Have You Got The Eggs Factor?

British Lion eggs are looking for someone with the ‘Eggs Factor’ who can cook eggs well and with panache. A £5,000 prize is up for grabs plus the chance to become the face of eggs.

Budding chefs will be relieved to know that Simon Cowell is not on the judging panel but the British egg industry has recruited a range of experts to assess entrants on their ability to poach an egg successfully and to create a ‘signature dish’ featuring eggs, to be cooked in under ten minutes.

Top chef and food expert Paul Merrett will be joining British Lion eggs to launch the campaign, which will culminate in a ‘cook off’ during British Egg Week (6-12 October).

Paul, who will also help to judge the finals, said, “Eggs are a fantastic ingredient – versatile, tasty and quick to cook - for everyone from top chefs to those whose cooking skills are almost non-existent! The Eggs Factor competition is a great opportunity for people to get cooking and demonstrate their egg-cellent talents in the kitchen.”

A special website – www.eggrecipes.co.uk/eggsfactor - has been launched for entrants to explain why they have the Eggs Factor and give their signature egg dish. After the closing date, midnight on 3 August 2008, short-listed entrants will be invited to a series of regional finals across the UK during September (taking place in: Brighton, London, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast) and the eight winners of the regional finals will compete in a national cook-off in October, when the new ‘face of eggs’ will be crowned.

“We’re not looking for the next MasterChef,” says the Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, Andrew Parker, “but we do want to find someone who can not only cook eggs well, but can also inspire others to have a go. They will then help us communicate the speed, ease and versatility of cooking with eggs.”