Two young female chefs from the ACT have been named the 2015 recipients of the Nestle Golden Chefs Hat competition.
Amanda Polsen (24), apprentice chef at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, and Georgia Harrison (22), apprentice chef at the National Press Club, took out the crown, with the results announced at Doltone House Hyde Park on 22 September.
The duo battled it out in purpose-built kitchens on the show floor of the Fine Food Australia tradeshow, pitting their skills again the country’s eight best junior chef teams.
The team was presented with two silver medals as well as a gold with distinction medal for its dessert – a first for the competition, which is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The winning dessert course was a glazed dark chocolate ball filled with caramel and port lava mousse, pistachio semifreddo, raspberry popping pearls, saffron macaroons filled with French vanilla mousse, pistachio crumble and port wine gel.
The finals were held on the floor of Fine Food Australia for the first time ever, with finalists required to create a three course meal in four hours that was judged by a panel including internationally recognised World Association of Chef’s Societies (WACS), Nestl chefs and members of the Australian Culinary Federation.
Australian Culinary Federation Competition director, Deb Foreman said this year’s final was one of the best the competition had seen. “From an unprecedented number of entrants to the highest awarded medal ever, this year’s competition has set a new benchmark,” she said.
Polsen and Harrison have won themselves a food safari experience in South Africa.
