We have now received hundreds of nominations for our innovative Chalet Chef 2010 challenge. Voting is now closed. The competition is designed to find the best companies out there for chalet food. Six shortlisted companies will each be asked to send a chef to London in mid-November to take part in a cook-off.

There, the chefs will be challenged to create a tasty chalet menu on a limited budget. A judging panel will then taste their creations, awarding points for creativity, presentation and, perhaps most important of all, how they taste.

The Chalet Chef 2010 cook-off will take place in the cosy surroundings of one of London’s newest cookery schools, Food at 52.

Food at 52, tucked away in a Georgian terrace in Islington, was founded in January 2008 by John Benbow, a former furniture maker with a passion for food. He now shares that passion with people wanting to learn how to cook amazing meals for friends.

Benbow runs eight different themed courses at Food at 52 covering Italy, Thailand, Morocco, Spanish, Southern Indian, fish and seafood and how to run a stress-free dinner party.

Unlike some cookery schools, Food at 52 is very hands-on. You don’t just sit back and watch a chef prepare something that you would never recreate when back in your own kitchen. The courses are designed for eight to ten people. Many people have commented on how they feel like they are at a dinner party rather than a formal cookery class. The Flavours of Italy course takes you through soups and salads, a risotto and freshly-made pasta, for example, all using local seasonal produce.

You can see photos of the courses on Food at 52’s Facebook page.

As well as being passionate about food, Benbow is a keen skier. One of his highlights of the year is a regular visit to La Plagne. “It’s good for kids and Oxygène is a great ski school. I used to go to Chamonix in a previous life but now we just do a couple of runs to death – I’m not as adventurous with my skiing any more.”

Benbow says chalet chefs face a number of challenges in bringing good food to the table when the slopes close. “It’s about trying to cater creatively without dumbing down. One of the skills they need is to know how to do everyday dishes in a way that is different. Say you made a salmon tartlet starter. On its own, it would be dull but put a soft boiled quail’s egg on the top and you can make a dull tartlet into something you would normally only see in a restaurant.”

The six chalet chefs who will meet up at Food at 52 in mid-November will have to keep that firmly in mind.