TERRITORIAL Army (TA) chefs from across the North will be battling it out in a catering competition this weekend.

They are being asked to whip up a meal and serve it in a cookery competition on Wearside.

At Whitburn training camp, near Sunderland, six teams of military chefs will cook a variety of meals designed for everything from Kosovo-style operations to serving a three-course meal for a VIP party.

Exercise Combat Caterer not only tests the soldiers' kitchen skills, but also their military ones.

During the weekend, they will take part in a 6.4km timed march and shoot and be tested on their nutrition and hygiene.

"In the past few years, events in the Balkans and Iraq have shown a need for chefs to be able to create a nutritious and sustaining meal suitable for feeding large numbers of people in separate locations," said Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Collinson, Chief Logistic Support for 2nd Division.

"The aim of Exercise Combat Caterer is to provide a challenging field cookery competition and put into practice many of the skills that are often need on operations.

"In the past we have had some very close competitions and I hope that we will again over this weekend."