Best of Britain & Ireland ‘09 exhibition is to be held on 26-29 March 2009 at London’s ExCeL which celebrates the best of Britain and Ireland, and is looking for the best of British and Irish cooking through an online competition.

They are inviting amateur and professional chefs to celebrate and show off their favourite British or Irish meals. The best video recipes will then be showcased to over 20,000 visitors to the ExCeL centre on the 28th and 29th March and on The Best of Britain & Ireland website: www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk

Best of Britain & Ireland 2009, a brand new consumer event that celebrates the best of domestic tourism, is challenging the good people of Britain and Ireland to get behind their region and vote for their favourite local dish in a nationwide online campaign to find the most popular home-grown recipe.

This battle of the regions will reveal which area is home to the best of Britain and Ireland’s cuisine, and is a fantastic opportunity for foodies to celebrate their individual twists on traditional favourites.

Best of Britain & Ireland 2009 has invited amateur and professional chefs alike to nominate their favourite British and Irish dishes by:

• Creating a simple video of the nominated dish being prepared and uploading it to Look and Taste
• Submitting the recipe in writing to the Best of Britain & Ireland 2009 Facebook group
• Emailing a link to their video recipe or simply a written recipe to bobi@fleishmaneurope.com

Participants are invited to add their own twist to the traditional regional fare, with the most imaginative and tasty being crowned winner by leading UK chef Rob Rees, also known as The Cotswold Chef. In addition to securing fame and recognition for their dish and their local region, the winner will receive a fabulous culinary weekend break prize, including two nights’ accommodation in rural Gloucestershire and a Culinary Tour with Rob Rees himself, as well as free tickets to the London event, where they will be have the opportunity to meet more faces from Britain and Ireland’s gastro scene.

The Best of Britain & Ireland, which is organised in partnership with VisitBritain, is taking place at London’s ExCeL Centre on 28 and 29 March. Visitors will be able to enjoy an array of foodie displays, tastings and demonstrations from all areas of the country, as well as enjoying everything else that Britain & Ireland has to offer holidaymakers.

Tickets to the Best of Britain & Ireland 2009 start from £10 and can be booked online at www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk or by calling 0871 230 5588.