Finalists Ready to Battle for Chef of the Year 2019
Melbourne will welcome 32 talented chefs from around the nation for the prestigious Australian Professional Chef of the Year contest, to be held at Foodservice Australia trade show June 23-25 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Competition Director Gary Farrell said the vast number of entries from senior professional chefs demonstrates this title has become one of the most sought-after in the Australian culinary world. With a share of $10,000 cash up for grabs, it is also one of Australia’s richest competitions for chefs.
“This is a real pressure test – chefs compete in heats against the clock and each other to produce their two best dishes using featured ingredients, all in front of a live audience,” he said.
“ You have to be calm, clean and in control – sometimes the best dishes are also the simplest ones, which allow the produce to shine.”
Grand finalists ready to battle from 2018 returning to do battle again include Andrew Ballard from Simmer Culinary in Melbourne, Jason Martin from Quattro Fine Foods on NSW’s Central Coast and reigning champion Jack Lee from Bean Smuggler in Point Cook, Victoria.
Michael Cole from Flinders Hotel on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, who was Chef of the Year 2017, is also throwing his toque in the ring, fresh from competing in the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon in January. In addition, 2018’s Queensland Chef of the Year Marcus Hillier from Factory 51 in Brisbane is heading to Melbourne to compete as part of his prize.
Other returning chefs include Daniel Wijekoon from Odeum Restaurant in Muswellbrook NSW, Megan Hooton from Bread in Common in Fremantle WA, Rosie Griffiths from Cape Lodge WA and Mathew Lee from Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Chefs competing for the first time include Josh Pelham, Executive Chef at RACV Resort Cape Schanck; Ollie Hansford, Head Chef at Melbourne’s Stokehouse; Karl Edwards, Sous Chef at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and Walter Trupp from Trupp The Chef’s Table Cooking School in Melbourne.
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