THE Westmorland Gazette has once again joined forces with top Lake District hotel The Old Vicarage, at Witherslack, to offer an enthusiastic amateur the chance to be a 'chef for a night'.

Our winner will work alongside Old Vicarage head chef James Brown and his team who will help he or she prepare their menu for up to 35 guests gathered in the hotel restaurant especially for the occasion.

So that friends and family can enjoy the meal too, The Old Vicarage is offering £100 of dinner vouchers for our winner's special guests.

Also part of the prize will be a personalised chef's uniform from Nisbets, the chefs' outfitters, comprising chef's whites, jacket with embroidered name, scarf, trousers and chef's hat.

And at the end of the night, when everyone has gone home, the winner and his or her partner can retire to The Old Vicarage's stunning honeymoon suite.

Breakfast is part of the prize too.

As is dinner for two when chef James Brown will return the favour by cooking a meal for the winner and his or her guest.

This prize can be taken any time before June 30 (subject to availability) and will include a bottle of house wine.

This exciting competition is open to any enthusiastic amateur aged 18 and over.

You must be self-taught and have no connection with the catering industry.

All you have to do to enter the competition is submit a three-course menu for a dinner that you might cook at home for family or friends or for a special occasion.

Your menu can be as simple or as elaborate as you like and you should try to use locally-produced food, or food which reflects the region's culinary heritage.

The deadline for entries is first post on Monday, February 19.

The FOUR finalists must be available to attend The Old Vicarage on Sunday, February 25, at 11am, for morning coffee and a chance to see behind the scenes.

Our potential chefs will also meet James Brown - a Masterchef of Great Britain - and have an opportunity to talk through their menus, IN PRIVATE, with him.

Thanks to Windermere-based Lakeland Limited, our four finalists will also each receive a fabulous 'Remoska' Electric Cooker worth £59.95.

See the separate panel for more about the Remoska from Lakeland Limited.

The overall winner will be announced in Food & Drink on Friday, March 2.

This will give our winner two weeks to get ready for their big night.

On the evening of Sunday, March 18, he or she will join James and his team to prepare the winning dinner (7pm for 7.30pm) for up to 35 guests at The Old Vicarage.

When you have designed your menu and list of main ingredients - preferably printed on A4 sheets - you should attach them to the coupon printed on this page.

Complete with the required details and send to - Chef for a Night Competition, The Westmorland Gazette, 22 Stricklandgate, Kendal, LA9 4NE, to arrive by first post on February 19.

The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.