Matt Davies joins Essential Cuisine's hunt for Britain's Best Brigade

Britain's Best Brigade, Essential Cuisine's new competition, has a new judge in the form of British Culinary Federation vice-chairman Matt Davies.

The group executive head chef of Staffordshire's the Lewis Partnership joins Paul Askew, chef-patron of Liverpool's Hope Street Hotel; Andrew Bennett, executive chef at London's Park Lane Sheraton, and Nigel Crane, Dorchester-trained Essential Cuisine managing director.

Davies said: "I'm delighted to be judging Best Brigades and am greatly looking forward working with Paul, Andrew and Nigel to choose our finalists. There's no room in the modern kitchen for egos, it's about team players, individuals with discipline, skill, empathy communication, style and belief. These are the ingredients that make the best brigades, and that's what I'll be looking out for as a judge."

Chef teams have until midnight on 20 April to enter Britain's Best Brigade and the winners will scoop £1,000 cash and an exclusive development masterclass with one of the UKs top chefs.

For full details on the competition, visit www.bestbrigades.co.uk