Applications are now open for Electrolux Appetite for Excellence, the national competition for young hospitality professionals.

The new season brings exciting news for the program as it welcomes a new naming rights partner, Electrolux, and the introduction of a new category for promising restaurant entrepreneurs, the Electrolux Young Restaurateur award.

“With Electrolux Appetite for Excellence we really want to support and encourage young professionals working in all aspects of the hospitality industry. The new young restaurateur category is a very exciting addition to our program for 2009”, said Luke Mangan, co-founder of the program.

Searching Australia for emerging talent within the restaurant and catering industry, Electrolux Appetite for Excellence aims to inspire, support and educate future industry leaders, providing unique career opportunities and enviable prizes.

Electrolux, a leading manufacturer of domestic and professional kitchen appliances, has been a supporting partner of Appetite for Excellence since its inception in 2005.

“Electrolux shares the same philosophy as Appetite for Excellence, with global initiatives that aim to nurture the development of young professionals involved in our industry. We are thrilled to increase our involvement with this inspiring Australian program to assist the next generation of leading chefs, waiters and restaurateurs in Australia”, said John Brown, managing director, Electrolux Home Products Australia.

Applications for Electrolux Young Chef and Electrolux Young Waiter are open to career focused chefs and waiters aged 30 or under, and currently working in the Australian restaurant and catering industry. Chefs are invited to submit a seasonal menu comprising of canapé, entree, main and dessert. Waiters are invited to submit answers to questions testing their food and wine knowledge, customer service and leadership skills. Two applicants per state from each category will be invited to participate in the state finals in Sydney where the judging panel, comprising of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs, will select the best applicant from each state to compete in the national final in Sydney in June 2009.

Nominations for Electrolux Young Restaurateur can be put forward by Australia’s industry leaders or by self nomination from individuals who have owned and operated their licensed business for a minimum of two years. Three finalists will be selected by our judges, which include Christine Manfield of Universal, Sydney and Neil Perry of Rockpool, Sydney, and evaluated via a series of interviews, assessing their business acumen, passion and staff commitment.

Before national judging takes place, all the state finalists will win an all expenses paid five day tour of one of Australia’s leading food and wine regions to meet and learn from some of Australia’s world renowned pork, dairy, seafood, meat, horticulture, emerging industries and viticulture producers.

Following the trip, Electrolux Young Chef and Electrolux Young Waiter finalists will be flown to Sydney for the national judging where chefs compete in a mystery box cook-off and waiters are tested in a series of customer skills, food and wine knowledge.

The Electrolux Young Chef and Electrolux Young Waiter prize package includes a once in a lifetime experience to represent Australia in the prestigious S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice as well as a trip to visit the source of two of the world’s most renowned Mineral waters, S.Pellegrino located in the Italian Alps and Acqua Panna positioned in the hills of Tuscany and return overseas flights; one month’s work experience at a world leading restaurant overseas; a two day trip to historic naming rights partner principal partners Henschke in the Eden Valley, South Australia and tasting in the cellars with Stephen and Prue Henschke; $5,000 cash, to assist with travel & work experience expenses; and a trophy.

The Electrolux Young Restaurateur prize package includes an all expenses paid three day trip to London to attend “The S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants”, return (Partner-TBC) overseas flights; $10,000 cash prize, mentoring and the opportunity to meet Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs.