Top Northern Irish chef for World pesto Championships

A top chef will represent Northern Ireland at the World Pesto Championships in Genoa next April.

Gerard Sands, head chef at the Millbrook Lodge Hotel in Ballynahinch, county Down, was selected to lead the region's challenge from 10 contenders in the recent Northern Ireland regional competition for the international championships. The event in Belfast was hosted by Food NI.

Mr Sands came out ahead of a field which featured other chefs, restaurateurs, home cooks, culinary students and business owners Luca Montorio of Peppup Sauces and Gaetano Bonario of La Dolce Vita, both originally from Italy.

The winner has been chef at the Millbrook Lodge for the past 17 years and is among the most experienced and respected in Northern Ireland.

Mr Sands, commenting on his success in the awards, said: "I am delighted to be representing Northern Ireland at such an important event in the culinary world.

"The Northern Ireland heat, hosted by Food NI, was fiercely competitive. I am looking forward to the challenge in Genoa next year. It will be a tremendous opportunity to test my pesto making skills against the world's best and, in particular, Italy's finest who have dominated the championships."

Second placed in the Northern Ireland heat was home cook Michael McGarrity and third was Andy Provan, head chef at Michael Deane's Meat Locker restaurant in Belfast.

Every two years Genoa hosts the Pesto World Championship. In 2018, the competition will reach its seventh edition.

Mr Sands will be among other professional cooks and chefs as well as amateurs preparing pesto sauces using only authentic ingredients and traditional recipes. The pesto sauces will then be judged by tasters ranging from restaurant owners and expert cooks, as well as food and wine journalists.

It will take place in Genoa's historic Palazzo Ducale and involve 100 competitors from all over the world. The ingredients used to make the pesto will be the same for everyone: basil from the Ligurian Coast, pine nuts from Pisa, garlic from Vessalico (Imperia), parmigiano reggiano, fiore sardo (a special cheese from Sardinia), salt from the salt pans in Trapani, EVO oil DOP Riviera Ligure.