Stalk It, Trap It, Cook It – Snare $10,000

Media release
24th March 2011

Stalk It, Trap It, Cook It – Snare $10,000

Calling all hunter-gatherers; registrations are now open for the 14th annual Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge.

Monteith’s is looking for chefs with a hunger for adventure and a taste for the wild to test their skills and creativity for its infamous nationwide challenge. The winner will produce the most daring, most delicious wild food and Monteith’s pairing.

‘Wild’ food is determined by three criteria:
It is sourced from the wildest of local ingredients available
If it is a more readily available ingredient, it’s prepared in a ‘wild’ manner
It is ‘wild’ in the way it is presented

At least two of the primary ingredients in an entrant’s dish must also be sourced from within 100km of the entrant’s outlet, providing a distinct local flavour.

All outlets game enough to enter need to register at www.monteiths.co.nz before entries close on April 24, 2011. The Challenge will run from June 3 to July 3, during which time a panel of expert judges will travel the country in pursuit of the best entries.

To celebrate those who truly get behind the Challenge, a new award has been added in 2011; ‘Spirit of Monteith’s Beer & Wild Food Challenge’. This award has been established to acknowledge entrants who go the extra mile to bring the Challenge experience to life within their establishment, with the winner collecting a $2,000 cash prize.

Ten semi-finalists will be chosen and visited by Head Challenge Judge Kerry Tyack to determine the five best dishes, before the main event, the Finalists’ Cook Off, in Auckland this August.

The public also have a role to play in the judging process; they will be invited to vote via text after dining at any Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge participating establishment. The top two ‘People’s Choice’ finalists will then join the five other finalists at the Cook Off.

The judges will be looking for the most inventive interpretation of the brief; a main dish creation that showcases wild food and is perfectly matched to a Monteith’s beer or cider. Mr Tyack has the following advice to offer to those wanting to snare the $10,000 cash prize;

“Chefs should push the boundaries of conformity, you are being asked to use wild ingredients after all. Remember, a list of ingredients is just a list of ingredients until it reaches the plate. It’s how you put it all together that counts,” he says.

Standout dishes of previous years have been those that combine the three wild food criteria to create a truly spectacular match. The Porch Kitchen and Bar won the Challenge in 2010 with a dish called ‘Boarack Meets Underbelly’, featuring a wild boar rack and slow roasted boar belly, precisely paired with Monteith’s Pilsner and served on a rustic wooden board.

The Porch Chef, Brad King, explains the inspiration behind his winning entry;

“I wanted to create a dish that used seasonal, indigenous ingredients and also reflected traditional New Zealand wild game. Monteith’s Pilsner was a perfect match, complementing the flavours coming through in the roast pumpkin, leek and prosciutto ragu and tamarillo and piko piko chutney.”

Monteith’s Marketing Manager Russell Browne has learnt to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Challenge, but he is predicting the latest addition to the Monteith’s stable will be a popular choice;

“I think Monteith’s Single Source will be something we see matched quite frequently. Everything about Single Source from Monteith’s has been considered and selected for a purpose. We can tell you exactly where every ingredient comes from, right down to the paddock, and the impact of every decision on the taste of the beer.
“Single Source shares the wild food philosophy of a connection to the land and environment, making it a natural pairing for locally sourced ingredients,” he says.

Mr Browne adds that the Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge has been hugely successful in driving curious diners to participating locations and this year will be no exception;

“Not only will the wild nature of the dishes draw a crowd but beer matching is still a relatively novel concept to many diners. This is the ideal time to educate your floor staff so that they can really engage with customers about your wild food and Monteith’s match, especially during the traditionally quieter winter months.”

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