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The quest to find the best parmo in the WORLD is back.

The parmesan, a chicken or pork dish generally served with chips and salad is arguably the most talked about takeaway food in Teesside and it's rarely missing from any local restaurant menu.

The title for the World's Best Parmo is currently held by Borge Restaurant in Stockton, and has been since 2015 when the event was scrapped from Stockton's Summer show.

Holding on to the accolade was a relatively easy job for the family-run business however, as there has not been another competition.

But now it's back - and will be held at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Monday, October 28.

Restaurateurs from anywhere in the world are being urged to put their parmesans where their mouths are for the event.

Organisers say their parmos can be the traditional extravaganza of breadcrumbed chicken or pork topped with béchamel sauce and cheddar cheese or a creative take on the dish.

Additionally vegan and vegetarian versions of the parmo are strongly encouraged to be entered into the competition.

The origins of the Middlesbrough Parmesan is often disputed but its ever growing appeal is not.

Over recent years parmos have been spotted on menus not only across the UK, but across the globe and as far away as Australia.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston, who launched the competition, said: "Middlesbrough people are rightly proud of the parmo and it should be seized as a local cultural asset in the way the Bakewell Tart or the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie have.

"The parmo is a phenomenon. Our World Parmo Championship will be a fun way of celebrating the dish and hopefully after we've picked a winner for the best parmo in 2019, restaurateurs across Teesside will keep pushing to make their parmo the best around."

Middlesbrough Council is hosting the event at the Town Hall and local restaurants have been written to inviting them to take part.

For more information on taking part or to vote for your favourite restaurant visit www.lovemiddlesbrough.com/parmo