14 March 2007

Do you know your lasagne from your limoncello and your tortellini from your tiramisu? If so, act pronto because you could be one of eight budding chefs going to Italy with S4C chef Dudley Newbery.

Dudley is looking for Welsh-speaking foodies to take part in S4C reality TV series Casa Dudley. If you think you can handle the heat in an Italian kitchen in June with the popular Ynys-y-bwl chef, then contact the series’ producers, Opus TF on 029 20223 456 or go to www.s4c.co.uk/casadudley and download an application form.

The exact location for Casa Dudley – and the series’ top prize - is still very much under wraps, but Dudley promises that the chosen few are in for an unforgettable taste of Italian lifestyle and cuisine.

Dudley Newbery says, “If you love cooking and great food, want to learn about the Italian way of life and relish a challenge, then you could be ideal for Casa Dudley. Italy is paradise for food lovers and there’s no better country in the world to learn about developing a diverse cuisine using a range of fresh produce.”

The Casa Dudley series, which follows the success of last year’s Chez Dudley, set in a cookery school in Provence, is due for broadcast in the autumn.

The series will be holding preliminary rounds at Llandrillo on 21 April, Cardigan on 22 April, Carmarthen, 28 April and Cardiff on 29 April. Competitors will be required to bring a starter or a dessert, which could be reheated on location. The food will then be judged by a panel of experts, led by Dudley. Shortlisted cooks will be invited to a second round of cookery challenges.

One cook who went through the sizzling process last year, which ended in her winning the Chez Dudley top prize of a week at Raymond Blanc’s cookery school, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, was teacher Jan Wilson-Jones.

Jan, 38, who works part-time at Trefnant School near Denbigh, says, “I’d urge anyone who loves cooking to try for a place in Casa Dudley. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I never imagined I’d be cooking for Michelin-star chefs (who ran the school in Provence). Going to Italy sounds just as exciting, with its fantastic culinary tradition.”

Jan will be enjoying her Chez Dudley prize over Easter. “I’m really looking forward to that experience, it will help build on what I’ve already learnt. Chez Dudley has helped build my confidence so much. I’m already doing some television work and have summer food shows and a dinner at a Ruthin hotel on the cards. As a school teacher, I’m helping to set up healthy-eating workshops for children too.

“This is all down to the series, where I had fantastic support from everyone in the production team and made friends for life. Casa Dudley could do the same for someone else.”

Dudley adds, “What I can promise is that all Casa Dudley competitors are in for an experience of a lifetime.”

Ends