Marriott Hotels launches new dessert after charity contest

Marriott Hotels is to introduce a new dessert to its restaurant menus after inviting Marriott chefs from across Europe to submit ideas in a charity competition.

The white chocolate panna cotta with fresh seasonal strawberries was submitted by Dusan Osadsky from the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott. It will now be served across 131 participating hotels in the UK and Europe for the rest of the season.

The competition asked participants to submit dessert ideas including strawberries, to help champion young chefs and support the group's "You Eat, We Give" campaign, which helps to raise money for youth charity the Prince's Trust.

Over 90 dessert ideas were submitted, with the 12 shortlisted entries including four from the UK, two from Germany and two from France.

The other shortlisted ideas included the wild strawberries and chocolate mousse, jaconda sponge and powdered meringue from Leona Burgher at the Birmingham Marriott, who herself grew up in foster care and pursued her desire to be a chef via a Marriott training exchange programme and an apprenticeship with the group.

The charity programme means that for each lunch and dinner served, the hotel group donates £1 or 1 EUR to the charity.

The funding from the programme is expected to help the Prince's Trust run employability courses for young people in the UK. It will also go to fund vocational training and scholarships for children across Europe, including at the SOS Children's Villages, which work to prevent family breakdown among disadvantaged families.

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