New Zealand Chef Gabby Sanders has been named as the winner of the 2023 Nestle Golden Chef ‘s Hat Award.
12 chefs competed for the title and a $10,000 cash prize in front of a live crowd at Fine Food in Melbourne last week.
The Monday Room chef received gold medals for her entree, main and dessert which were assessed based on professional practices, presentation and taste by judges from the Australian Culinary Federation and NZChefs.
“This award can only be won by the chef that demonstrates absolute attention to every detail,” says Head Judge and Nestlé Professional Commercial Development Chef Elke Travers.
“Gabby rose to the challenge and created a flawlessly executed and perfectly balanced menu that showcased here technical skills to a high level.”
The winning chef prepared leek, potato and smoked beurre blanc for entree, glazed pork with caramelised soy dumpling and pork jus for main and a chai-spiced cake with caramel, walnut, pear and white chocolate for dessert.
“I’m committed to constantly pushing myself to achieve excellence as a chef,” says Sanders.
Sarah Jones secured the Best Savoury Dish and Trinity Garcia the Best Dessert, with both chefs receiving a $2,500 cash prize.
Jeremy Lackenby received the award for Most Sustainable Approach and Semra Peach the award for the Most Creative Use of Nestlé Product, with both given kitchen equipment packages from Solidteknics.