Two young Victorian apprentice chefs are heading to France to work under acclaimed chef Thierry Marx after winning this year’s Thierry Marx Career Development Award.

Nineteen-year-old Matthew Carnell from Mercers Restaurant at Eltham, and twenty-five-year-old Tim Squires of Gingerboy in Melbourne were announced as the winners of the annual Victorian award that’s now in its third year.

Their prize is a trip to France in August for a month’s work experience at Thierry Marx’s 18th Century Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.

Sharing the experience with them will be Natalie Watkins of Waddingtons restaurants at Kergunyah who was one of last year’s award recipients but wasn’t able to take the trip to France at the time.

Al three battled hard to take out the award during the tough competition program that began with them submitting an entry form and two original recipes. They were then required to cook those recipes for tasting and assessment during a workplace visit by the judges.

The judges reduced the entries to just six finalists—two from regional Victoria and four from Melbourne. The judging process included judges visiting all venues to assess the candidates on not only their technical culinary skills, but their interpersonal skills including attitude, passion, goals and aspirations.

The awards are presented by Restaurant and Catering Victoria with the support of major sponsors including Crown, Meat and Livestock Australian and William Angliss Institute of TAFE.

R&C Victoria CEO Todd Blake said the “inspiring young chefs” were chosen not just for their cooking abilities but also for their passion and dedication to their craft and the industry.

“We believe that they will in future, become champions of their trade as they both see the hospitality industry as a career not just a job—this is what the award is designed to encapsulate and we believe Matthew, Tim and Natalie are worthy winners.”