IT WAS too close to call in the second heat of the “I Love Manx Amateur Cook of the Year” contest today at the Royal Show - so the judges called it a dead heat!

So, Chris Callow and Sultana Hoque will both go through to join Pam Crowe in the final of the competition which will be held at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival in September.

Judges Howard Quayle, Juan Turner and Gary Cregeen had to taste two very different dishes at this afternoon’s Royal Show as the northern area finalists Chris Callow and Sultana Hoque made a bid for a place in the final.

Chris chose a Hungarian style pork rosti for his dish and Sultana a spicy queenies and squash dish. The panel of judges found the decision so difficult today that they finally decided both cooks should go through to the final at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival in September.

They will join the winner of yesterday’s southern area competition -  Pam Crowe - whose dish of fillet steak wrapped in pancetta was the narrow winner over Andy Guy’s bucatini pasta recipe.

The competition - now in its second year - has attracted a lot of interest and the Food Theatre was packed on both days for the nail-biting semi finals.

TV chef Gino D-Acampo will be the man to decide who takes the 2010 “I Love Manx Amateur Cook of the Year” in September and it looks like he will have a really tough decision to make with three very different dishes to be sampled.

All photos by Bill Dale  -  isleofmanphotos.com