ERFURT, Thuringia — The first deadline of the 2012 IKA/Culinary Olympics is nearing, as national team registration is to be completed by Sept. 30.

Forty-five teams have registered for this 23rd quadrennial event, which is expected to grow to 53 nations with some 1,600 chefs competing. Canada will enter individually and as part of National Team Canada and Youth Team Canada.

LONDON — Staff at the two Michelin-starred London restaurant The Ledbury frightened off looters with kitchen equipment after the iconic Notting Hill resto was targeted during the city’s ongoing riots.

Louise Yang, who pens the foodie blog Naked Sushi, wrote that attackers tried to steal some of her personal items but were eventually chased off by employees wielding cookware.

LONDON — Parisian wine collector Christian Vanneque has struck liquid gold, setting a Guinness World Record for the most valuable white wine ever sold with his purchase of a bottle of 1811 Château d’Yquem for £75,000 ($115,800).

“This wine is very special — it is attached to the most renowned white wine in the world, and it was produced in the year of the Great Comet, which was believed to enhance the quality of the wine,” Vanneque told Reuters, while speaking of the rare vintage, which doesn’t spoil because of the high levels of residual sugar mixed with the grape acidity of the wine.

SHETLAND, U.K. — Scottish Fisherman who make their catch in Shetland are about to receive a rare and coveted environmental distinction, the UK Guardian reports.

According to the paper, about 120 Shetland fishermen are expected to be the first in the world to receive an environmental sustainability certificate for lobster and scallops as well as brown and velvet crabs from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The distinction could make the shellfish a coveted menu item in fine-dining restaurants, a significant leap from the “poor cousin” status the fish were saddled with before.

Gary and Jonathan Leask, brothers who fish along Shetland's coastline, told The Guardian that winning the MSC's approval will increase the cachet of the catch for consumers and industry buyers. "We're hoping the value of our scallops will rise," said Gary. "But it's more looking after the stock. If the stock is right, there will be fishing for years to come."