Bringing their best game…Epicure junior chefs take title

From a line-up of the region’s top up-and-coming culinary talent, Epicure chefs Tony Kulafi and Emily Petrelli have won the Victoria cook-off in the 2012 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award.

Having gone head-to-head with 11 other young chef teams in a cook-off challenge at William Angliss Institute kitchens, the talented two will now have their skills put to the ultimate test against Australia’s best at the National Final.

Deputy Manager of Culinary & Food Processing at William Angliss Institute, Mark Agius comments:

"William Angliss Institute is proud to host culinary competitions of this calibre as we believe it vital to the professional development of our future industry leaders. Competing is all about gaining experience and the knowledge of what works in a pressured environment. Going up against your peers and seeing what other chefs at your level are creating has a very positive impact on your skills as a chef and I know all of the competitors have increased their working knowledge."

Using only the ingredients available to them on the day, competing chef teams had to create a sumptuous three-course meal to impress the judging panel, including Nestlé chefs, local restaurateurs and members of the Australian Culinary Federation.

Tony and Emily impressed the judges, producing an entrée of crispy skin baby Barramundi with a lemon and lime jelly, carrot and ginger puree and avocado mousse. Main course was a seared wagyu rump cap served with braised red cabbage, sweet potato fondants, sautéed spinach, pumpkin and parsnip puree, shallot rings and crisp lamb brains. The pair served up a date trio for their dessert, including sticky date pudding, a date brulee tart and date mousse served on a salted cashew crumble.

The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is dedicated to the development of apprentice chefs and is the longest running and only national competition that tests culinary cooking skills at a regional level, right through to a National Final cook-off.

Aspiring young chefs get to put themselves up against their peers and benchmark their skills to really find out where they’re at as a chef. To help them take their cooking skills to the next level, they are mentored along the way by professional chefs and culinary instructors.

This year’s two young chefs named the national winners will be awarded an international prize trip, worth $15,000, to the 2012 Culinary Olympics in Germany where they will get the chance to do work experience and be mentored by Team Australia.

With the first event held in 1966, the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is the longest running sponsorship for Nestlé Professional. The annual competition is run in partnership with the Australian Culinary Federation and supported by Meat & Livestock Australia and Humpty Doo Barramundi.

Find out more at nestle-goldenchefs.com.au and facebook.com/goldenchefs