Two chefs from the Verzons Hotel are finalists in the Copa Jerez Sous Chef and Wine Waiter of the Year event.

To make the finals, the team at the hotel, off Hereford Road, had to submit a three-course menu and the ideal selection of sherries to go with it.

Simon Cooke and Matthew Warburton will go head-to-head with other finalists at the Hotelympia at the ExCel exhibition centre at London's Docklands on Monday, February 20.

Before crowds of visitors from the catering industry, they must use all their own ingredients to create dishes in times of between 30 and 90 minutes.

But one Verzons chef must miss out on all the excitement. Originally, Justin Pinchbeck was scheduled to go, but prior commitments means he cannot attend.

Now he is wishing his two colleagues all the best. He said: "It is the first national competition where we have been finalists."