AUSTRALIA’S young chefs only have until Friday to get their entry in to this year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award that is offering a $12,000 international culinary training prize trip for a winning duo to the 2008 World Culinary Olympics.
The award is an annual competition for junior and apprentice chefs
Last year’s winners Vanessa Mateus, 22, and Paul Gajewski, 20, achieved a bronze, silver and a gold medal in the Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat Award to secure their culinary prize trip to South Africa for the One World Culinary Competition.
Accompanied by Paul Moore and Rick Stephens, from the Australian Culinary Federation, the budding young chefs were tutored by South African Chefs Association president Martin Kobald and taken on a three-day safari and cooking demonstration in Madikwe as part of their week’s culinary tour of South Africa.
Madikwe is a five star game reserve on the boarder of Botswana. While there, Mateus and Gajewski helped out in the lodge kitchen were they helped prepare a three course meal for the guests and park rangers. They then went to Johannesburg to watch the One World Culinary Competition, which Australasia won.
The pair also got to visit Hostex 2007 where they talked to chef’s from around the world, Russia, Iceland and Egypt to name a few, and watched different styles of cooking.
The 2006 winners urge other young chefs to take part in this year’s competition. Mateus said that the trip was a great “eye-opener”. “It has given us the opportunity to see a different world. Being able to go to South Africa was such an eye opener. The culture, the food, the people and the networking opportunities with international chefs is a big bonus,” Mateus said.
“This competition is great for young chefs. I’ve competed three times, come close once and last year taken out the top prize. Win or loose, you learn a great deal about your ability, learn how to work in a team and you push yourself to be the best. Everyone loves to win and this competition is the best chance to show others and yourself what you are capable of.”
“Winning has made me more determined to become a better chef. Anything is possible. For now I plan to stay here in Melbourne and then head over to Europe. I’d love to go back and work in France and also see what amazing opportunities Spain could offer.”
To be involved in the award chefs must be Australian residents no older than 23 years on December 31, 2007. Entrants must pair up, nominating a team leader and a team assistant, and send in an original recipe each, using a minimum of two Nestlé products. This must be accompanied by a written brief on each team member’s career aspirations for the next five years.
For further entry details visit http://www.nestlefoodservices.com.au or http://www.austculinary.com.au.
