With the London 2012 Summer Games just completed and Canada’s Paralympic athletes still taking on the world’s best in London, Gold Medal Plates today announced the ten BC chefs that will compete at the 2012 Gold Medal Plates competition in Vancouver on November 16.

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine, sport and entertainment. The Vancouver competition is one of ten that will be staged in Canadian cities this fall, with the winners from each city competing in the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna next February.

Announcing the competitors for Gold Medal Plates Vancouver was the newly named Honourary Chair for the event, Mary McNeil, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek.

The competitors include:

from Vancouver:

Angus An (Maenam)

Joe Campo (The Westin Bayshore Vancouver)

Quang Dang (West Restaurant & Bar)

David Gunawan (Wildebeest)

Lee Humphries (C Restaurant)

Taryn Wa (Savoury Chef Foods)

from Kelowna:

Mark Filatow (Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar)

from Oliver:

Jeff Van Geest (Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Winery)

from Penticton:

Darin Paterson (Bogner’s of Penticton)

from Tofino:

Nicholas Nutting (The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn)

Each chef will prepare one appetizer-sized dish for approximately 500 to 800 guests. Chefs must select a Canadian wine or beverage to pair with his or her dish and, to ensure a level playing field, chefs must use plates provided by The Westin Bayshore. Chefs will be allowed a maximum of 10 staff members, in addition to two wine pourers per station.

Judging the 2012 competition in Vancouver will be: Chef John Bishop, James Chatto, Sid Cross, Andrew Morrison, Barbara-Jo McIntosh Lesley Stowe, and last year’s Vancouver winner, Chef Rob Feenie, who will also be cooking for the VIP reception that precedes the main event. Each dish will be judged out of 100 points, based on visual presentation (20%), texture (20%), taste (30%), wine compatibility (10%), originality (10%) and wow factor (10%).

Gold Medal Plates is also the largest celebration of Canadian wines in the country.

In addition to the culinary awards, one of the wines featured at the Vancouver event will be awarded the Best of Show Award, which last year was won by Tantalus 2009 Old Vines Riesling.

Music for the evening will be provided by Canadian legend Jim Cuddy, the lead singer of Blue Rodeo and Gold Medal Plates national entertainment advisor. Joining Jim on stage will be an all-star cast of Canadian musicians and entertainers.

Gold Medal Plates Vancouver will once again feature a silent auction as well as a live auction, featuring spectacular getaways with Olympians and Canadian entertainers to destinations such as South Africa, Provence, Chile, Tuscany, and Kelowna for the Canadian Gold Medal Plates finals.

For ticket information for the 2012 Gold Medal Plates competition in Vancouver, visit the Gold Medal Plates website at www.goldmedalplates.com.