Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc has lent his support to the annual culinary contest, which aims to find and encourage chefs with a passion for local ingredients and a flair for creating delicious dishes.

Now in its fifth successful year and organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the contest has three categories and aims to find the best professional, amateur and junior chefs.

The Society is best known as the organiser of the annual Great Yorkshire Show, and its sister event, Countryside Live and year round the Society highlights the important role farmers play in producing our food.

Finalists in all three categories will be invited to take part in cook-offs, under the critical gaze of a team of experienced judges, with the winners receiving a host of exciting prizes.

Top prize for the best amateur chef will be the chance to spend a day cooking at Michelin-starred Leeds restaurant Brasserie Blanc alongside one of Raymond Blanc's trained chefs. The Society will also provide the winner with a set of chef's knives.

Other prizes include a day at the prestigious Betty's Cookery School in Harrogate for the junior winner, and a cash prize and commemorative certificate for the best professional chef.

For the 2007 Great Yorkshire Cookery Competition amateur winner, Tim Cottrill, the past 12 months have been amongst the most exciting of his life.

After winning the contest the 19-year-old, who lives in Darley, Harrogate, has appeared across the region at prestigious cookery events, including the Great Yorkshire Show, and has just landed his dream job as commis chef at Rudding Park Hotel's Clocktower Restaurant.

He said: "The Great Yorkshire Cookery Competition has opened so many doors for me – it has been a great start to my career. I've always wanted to become a chef and winning the contest gave me the motivation I needed. It has led to the wonderful experience of cooking in a professional kitchen."

"Before the competition, I enjoyed cooking as a hobby – now it is my job and I am loving every minute of it," said Tim, who is a former pupil of St Aidan's C of E School in Harrogate and began work at Rudding Park in the summer.

Last year's junior winner, Helen Rosillo, has also secured a job at the hotel where the 17-year-old has a part-time job as a pastry chef. Helen is studying for her A' Levels at Harrogate Grammar School and said: "Winning the Great Yorkshire Cookery Competition has been brilliant. I have loved cooking, especially baking, ever since I was about four or five years old.

"It's great fun working at Rudding Park, and wonderful experience for me. I have been thrown in at the deep end – and it really is fantastic," said Helen, who is helping prepare desserts and pastries for the hotel's conference and banqueting business and the award-winning Clocktower Restaurant.