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by Sherri Hogan

Members of Canada's Culinary Youth Team today received an exciting gift from Wusthof Knives, a gift which will assist them in their preparation of winning gold at the World Culinary Olympics! Derek Marcotte, representing Wusthof, made the presentation at the Culinary Institute of Canada, the home base for the Team from which they are all graduates and where they are currently in training.

"The tools of the chef are without a doubt, knives. They are the most important element that these chefs will have with them not only for this competition but for the rest of their career," commented Craig Youdale, Chef / Wine Instructor at the Culinary Institute and Manager of the Canada Culinary Youth Team. "The Team will be asked to perform almost every task imaginable at the Olympics and each skill requires a different knife. The quality of the tools is paramount to performing the skill to the highest standard and Wusthof knives are considered to be one of the top knife companies in the world."

Wusthof has earned an international reputation for excellence. Precision forged in Solingen, Germany since 1814, Wusthof hand-crafted knives are designed for maximum strength, safety, balance and heft. Each Team member's kit includes nine different knives in a stainless steel case and is valued at $1,500 dollars per kit.

Preparations by Team Canada are well underway at the Culinary Institute. The Culinary Institute won the right to represent Canada at the Culinary Olympics this past February, when they won a competition in Toronto competing against the best schools in the country. The 2004 Culinary Olympics, to be held in Erfurt, Germany in October, is considered the oldest and most prestigious international culinary competition in the world.

Representing five different provinces, members of Canada's Culinary Youth Team are: Mark Sheehy, Rebecca Hutchings, Tommy Archibald, Kelly Clark, Gerald Sharpe, Natalie Fortier, and Gillian Gilfoy.