Fancy being able to cook up a storm every day of the week? Well, challenge yourself (or your partner) to a weekend in cooking school!

The Ashburton Cookery School has a Beginners Cookery Weekend that covers essentials like baking, basic sauces, cooking meat and fish correctly and how to make puddings that create a stir.

For more information follow the link to the school’s website:

http://www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk

White Stuff £100 voucher up for grabs

Want to Win?

Be the first person to post evidence of your ‘Challenge’ on this blog or the Facebook Challenge Me South West England site and you will win the £100 White Stuff Voucher – easy as that!

Photos or videos must show something that connects you to the south west. For example you could be holding a south west county flag; a south west England town name is in the background; or your T-shirt shows the name of the activity centre where you are. It is up to you – be creative!

The small print: You must play by the rules to win the prize. Officials from South West Tourism will determine whether entries meet the criteria. Friends and family of South West Tourism may participate in the Challenge Me initiative but will not be eligible to win prizes.

Game On!

Carl Coombes, Pete Atherton (Extreme Academy), Neil Haydock (Fifteen Cornwall) and Alan Steadman (Extreme Academy)

South West England is encouraging Brits to get active and beat the winter blues, by getting involved in its exciting new initiative, “Challenge Me!”  Individuals set a challenge for themselves or for someone else, and then proudly share their achievements on Facebook and Twitter.

On Monday 7^th December at Watergate Bay, a group of apprentice chefs from the Jamie Oliver-inspired Fifteen Cornwall and instructors from the Extreme Academy challenged each other to swap roles for the day!  Apprentice chefs were ordered out of the kitchen and onto the beach to complete a gruelling ‘coordination challenge’ to kite-buggy up the north Cornish coast. This was after the extreme sports instructors found themselves deep in new waters as they were challenged to cook a three-course meal to be judged by Fifteen’s Executive Chef.

Wondering what this is all about? Well… as the South West England is one of the best regions in the UK for fun, exciting and challenging activities, we want to show off about it and get as many Brits as possible to share their experiences.

If there’s ever been a time to challenge yourself, or someone you know, this is it.  If you enter the Challenge Me! competition you not only get to try a new activity, but win some great prizes too!

It’s easy to get involved:

1. Set your challenge – it could be an activity or sport you’ve never tried but always wanted to!
2. Find a partner or a group if you want to challenge each other
3. Take a photo or video of you and your ‘challengers’ partaking in the activity and post the link here or on the Challenge Me! Facebook page
4. Tell us all about your challenge, for the chance to win great prizes

The Rules:

Photos or videos must show something that connects you to the south west. For example, you could be holding a West Country flag, a south west England town name is in the background or your T-shirt shows the name of the activity centre where you are.  It is up to you – be creative!

Challenges must be completed and posted before 31 March 2010.

Tips:

The activity does not have to be death-defying! All you have to do is challenge yourself.

Stuck for Ideas? Activities might include: 4×4 driving, golf, kite surfing, paddle boarding, coasteering, zipwiring, mountaineering, rockclimbing, paintballing, horseriding, cooking, rambling.

Contact some activity operators in the south west for inspiration:

Adrenalin Quarry http://www.adrenalinquarry.co.uk/

Harlyn Surf School in Cornwall http://www.harlynsurfschool.co.uk

Extreme Academy http://www.watergatebay.co.uk/extremeacademy.htm

The Adventure Centre http://www.adventure-centre.org

The Penhall Centre http://www.penhaleadventure.com/index.html

Good Luck!