Entries are now open to Kiwi apprentice chefs for a once in a lifetime educational opportunity, Fonterra Foodservices' Proud to be a Chef competition. Two New Zealanders will be selected to attend the annual cutting-edge Masterclass in Melbourne.

The successful Kiwi applicants will receive return flights to Melbourne, with three nights' hotel accommodation and three nights' dining at award winning Melbourne restaurants. One of the 24 Australasian participants will then be selected to receive a fabulous major prize - an international culinary scholarship, valued at $7500, tailored to the winner's aspirations for their professional career as a chef.

One of the 2009 winners, Rhys Barrington, had this to say: "All the competitors were people who were really passionate about cooking. The networking and contacts I made through the Proud to be a Chef competition have been a great help to me in my career. It's really accessible to enter, so go for it!"

Successful applicants will participate in hands-on mentoring and inspirational Masterclasses with world leading chefs, as well as have the opportunity to mix with industry leaders and talk about exciting career development options.

Proud to be a Chef is open to all apprentice chefs, 18 years or older, who will in March 2011 be enrolled in a cooking training course at a government recognised training provider. Entrants must be New Zealanders, or hold a valid New Zealand work permit.

The programme has an eight-year history in Australian foodservice and was reinvented by Fonterra Foodservices in 2008 as a way of publicly recognising and rewarding the vital contribution that chefs make to the industry.

"Proud to be a Chef is one of the most prestigious mentoring programmes for young chefs in this part of the world," said Stephanie Hague, Communications and New Product Development Manager for Fonterra Foodservices. "This is just one way that Fonterra Foodservices shows its support in the developing of culinary talent in New Zealand."

See www.fonterrafoodservices.co.nz for an online application form and full terms and conditions. Applications close on 31st October.