18 Jun 2007


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Hardys searches for most creative chef

Alcoholic drinks

wine

Source : Constellation Europe
Hardys, the No 1 Australian brand in the UK, is expanding its links with wine and food occasions with the launch of Hardys Chef of the Year, a competition to find the nation's most creative chef.

The competition, which is being run throughout this summer in association with drinks wholesaler Matthew Clark, kicks off a £10 million investment in an integrated campaign. Activity includes media, PR, sponsorships and in-outlet activity that will build the brand’s relationship with food occasions during 2007.

The campaign includes a link-up with Shane Osborn, head chef of London restaurant Pied à Terre and the first Australian chef to attain two Michelin stars. Osborn will front the Chef of the Year competition, plus promotional activity for off-trade retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and ASDA, encouraging consumers to buy wine and food together and driving further awareness of the Hardys range.

Later this summer, new outdoor advertising will be launched with the strap line: “Best wine under the sun for any occasion”. This will be supported by a PR campaign focusing on food and wine occasions, highlighting the message to wine drinkers that Hardys is the perfect partner for food because of its diverse range of styles.

The Hardys Chef of the Year competition, which launches in June, is open to all chefs working in the on-trade and offers a first prize of £5,000, cash plus £5,000 for the outlet where they work. It gives chefs the opportunity to show their originality, flair and understanding of wine and food matching by submitting their own recipe, deisgned to perfectly complement a Hardys wine.

Osborn and a panel of judges will choose the four finalists based on the originality of the dish and the wine match. The four will cook and display their dishes at Pied à Terre on September 30 when the judges will select the overall winner.

Clare Griffiths, VP Brands Marketing, Constellation Europe, says: “We are building Hardys’ relationship with food through a competition that is relevant to the working lives of chefs and will inspire them to be more creative with wine and food. We felt it particularly important that the prize rewards the chef personally, but also the outlet that he or she works for, benefiting that business in a practical way.”

The 2007 campaign is the next step in Hardys’ wine and food drive following the launch of its award-winning text service last summer which helps shoppers choose the best wine with their food. By texting details of the food they plan to eat and their year of birth to 64007, consumers receive recommendations of the Hardys wines that best match their meal.

Griffiths concludes: “Hardys Chef of the Year will reinforce Hardys as the voice of food and wine matching at the start of a targeted campaign to underline that the brand is at the heart of a range of consumer drinking occasions.”

Chefs interested in competing for the title of Hardys Chef of the Year can either download an entry form from www.winhardys.co.uk/chef or speak with their Matthew Clark representative. All applications must be received by August 31.

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