Applications for the Hostplus Hospitality Scholarship will open on 3 March, offering an up-and-coming industry member the chance to work in some of the best foodservice businesses in the world.
The winner will be flown to three different countries to work in three internationally acclaimed hospitality businesses, followed by a one year mentorship facilitated by the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Since its inception in 2014, the Hostplus Hospitality Scholarship has welcomed a breadth of applicants from across the industry including baristas, bartenders, matre d's, winemakers, producers and restaurateurs.
In 2015, the Scholarship took winner and sous chef from Brae in Victoria, Damien Neylon, to award winning kitchens across Asia and Europe, including David Thompson's Nahm Restaurant, listed as one of S. Pellegrino-Acqua Panna Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Neylon also worked in three Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana, rated second best in the world in 2015, and Relae, owned by former Noma sous chef, Christian Puglisi.
This year, the judging panel comprises six judges: Gail Donovan, owner of Donovan’s Restaurant; Umberto Mecchi, group executive, strategy, marketing and client services at Hostplus; Matteo Pignatelli of Matteo’s Restaurant; Rafael Rashid, who’s been pivotal in the development of the Melbourne food truck scene; Jo-Ann Moody, gastronomy manager of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival; and Fleur Studd, one of the most influential people in the Melbourne coffee scene.
Online applications open on 3 March and close 5pm on 22 April 2016. The Scholarship is open to Australian residents aged 22 – 35, currently working in hospitality with at least two years’ experience.