Adelaide Oval chefs Abbey Wendland (aged 22) and Mahlet Girma (aged 24) have been crowned the national champions of Australia’s longest running culinary competition for the second consecutive year.
The powerhouse-pair from SA proved they have the recipe for success by cooking up a standout menu at the national finals of this year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, at Fine Food Australia in front of a record-breaking crowd.
Wendland and Girma produced a standout gold medal dessert course of apple and rhubarb mousse, salted crumb with grapefruit curd and poached thyme pear.
“We seriously can’t believe this, we’ve won, again! We worked so well together, everything went smoothly and the kitchens and equipment this year were next level! This is such a great competition, from the people you meet along the way to the skills you walk away with, it’s awesome,” says the duo.
Wendlend and Girma will now embark on a culinary trip to Vietnam.
“The competition was fierce this year, to secure a spot in the national finals, over 290 young chefs put their cooking skills to the test. And, year on year, we’re impressed with what the competitor’s bring to the plate, it’s truly inspiring,” executive chef at Nestlé Professional, Mark Clayton.
For 52 years in a row, Nestlé Professional has supported young chefs to develop their cooking skills and kick-start their culinary careers with the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award.
Follow Wendland and Girma’s adventure here.