Appetite for Excellence.
Young chef.
We’ve put all the answers to questions that come our way each year. if you can’t find a question/answer here, then get in touch viaВ emailВ or call us on 02 9002 5324 . if you don’t think that entering isВ something for you, perhaps take part by looking at the application form to get you thinking about where you would like to head in your career. a number of past young chefs have said that this helped them to think about their career goals and plan for their future.
are 30 years of age or under as at Tuesday 07-Aug-18 you must be over 18 are currently working professionally within the restaurant or catering industry in Australia on a full time basis or equivalent for a minimum of 2 years are currently working in an establishment that holds a liquor licence have completed and hold the nationally recognised qualification of Certificate III in Hospitality – Commercial Cookery, OR  have worked full time as a chef for a minimum of 2 years. if the latter you will need a written & signed reference from your current employer stating your position and length of employment are not the owner, or part owner of a restaurant/hospitality business are not a hospitality trainer/teacher on a casual, part time or full time basis are an Australian Citizen or permanent resident – working holiday and bridging visas are not accepted are able to participate in all the dates as listed on the DATES page (excluding workshops)
Read the application form.
This sounds obvious, but reading the application form from start to finish will ensure you understand all the requirements. “Make sure you read it a couple of times,” recommends Hajime Horiguchi, Tanto . This gives you the time to think about everything you want to say about your philosophy on food & cooking as well as your recipes.
Start your application early.
Applications open in January and you can submit your application anytime from then until they close on the 09 April 2018. Aaron Ward young chef 2016 from sixpenny says  “don’t leave filling in your application too late. It takes time and if you are going to enter put in the effort to make it right. Starting early also means you are able to practice your dish before you submit your application. It may be easy or something you have cooked a hundred times before, but under pressure of a time limit and the judges’ eye it’s tough”.
Find a mentor, run it past your mum, dad, talk to your head chef or find one of our past finalists to talk to. Understand that there are people to support you if you have any questions. “Take your time and get as many people as you can to proof read it. Every opinion matters” says George Tomlin, The Clove Club, London.
Use spell check.
Spelling errors and bad grammar look sloppy, so make sure you check your application form thoroughly. Get someone else to read it, too. Chances are, if they don’t know what you’re talking about, neither will our judges. “Ask friends or mentors to read your application and give you an honest opinion” Thiago Miranda 2016 National Finalist from Lume.
Your application form should reflect what you truly believe. “Anything you put down will be referenced when you speak to the judges and when you cook, so your food philosophy must be consistent with what you do,”says Jake Davey, est Restaurant.   Plus, “you’ll probably be really nervous in the interviews and your application will almost be as important in portraying who you are as a person” says Hanz Gueco, Verjus Paris.
You’ll need to create a seasonal menu as part of your application, so make sure you know what’s in season rather than guessing or what you think might be seasonal. “Use produce that is in its peak during autumn as you’ll get the best flavour from that ingredient. Don’t try to come up with it in an hour,” says Jake Kellie.
When creating your seasonal menu, remember that you may need to produce it under pressure. “Keep it simple, but still demonstrate knowledge of flavour combinations, ingredients and technique,” says Soren Lascelles, Grand Hyatt Singapore  “It should be simple enough that you are in control if you do make the cook-off.” and “Keep your dishes focused but simple. Allow yourself the opportunity to engage with the judges” recommends Matt Binney, Merricote.
Practice your dish.
You need to make sure that the flavours and your dish work as ninety minutes goes really quickly in a different kitchen. Remember, the judges are chefs too, so you want to make sure it works, “Make sure what you come up with is achievable within the allotted time, get as many people to try it as possible,” says  Jake Davey, est Restaurant  and Aaron Ward, sixpenny  recommends you, “time the cooking of your dishes. There is a time limit for a reason, so make sure you can cook your dishes with in that time frame.”.
Preparation is key when it comes to the cook-off, so go in with a clear idea of what you need to do. “Have an idea of how your plate should look, as the judges will be watching you,” says Victor Liong, Lee Ho Fook .“Have a back-up plan. Your first idea might just not work so have a plan b, or just be open minded to other options” recommends Aaron Ward.
Even if you don’t feel it, don’t second guess yourself, but be adaptable. Victor Liong, Lee Ho Fook  says, “if it doesn’t go your way, your Plan B is  your Plan A.” More importantly, remember what you do know, techniques, ingredients and how to work in a kitchen. Focus on what you know, be yourself and speak from your heart.
Just doing the application can help you think about where you want to be and how to get there, “everybody should give it a go cause you’ll learn so much about yourself”, says Hanz Gueco. Didn’t make the finals last year? Try again this year. A number of our finalists and winners were successful on their second, or even third, attempt.  “Have a go – there is nothing to lose,” says Frank Fawkner, EXP Restaurant .
future leaders of Australia: young chefs who show passion, integrity and commitment to their profession; cooking skills and techniques: which include use of ingredients, flavour, texture and presentation creativity shown through your menu – don’t forget, creativity doesn’t necessarily mean complexity communication: how all of this is communicated not only on paper but also in person.
Answer all of the application questions, and provide the necessary documentation listed below; these documents and examples can be foundВ in theВ ‘templates & docs’В tab portrait image of yourself this can be taken with your phone camera threeВ course menu created by you with brief description of each dish recipe 1: a main course recipe withВ specificВ ingredients as stipulated under autumnВ menu (section 4) recipe 2: a dessert course recipe main course image this can be taken withВ your phone camera dessert course image this can be takenВ withВ your phone camera a copy or photo of your Certificate III in Hospitality Certificate – Commercial CookeryВ ORВ a written and signed reference from current employer a copy or photo of your current passport page with your name and date of birth If you are not Australian, a copy or photo of citizenship or current permanent residency a copy or photo of the signedВ employer/manager confirmation formВ that they are aware you are entering Pay an application fee of $49.00 per applicant for administration purposes by 23:59 monday 09 April 2018 AEST Submit your online application with completed answers & accompanying documentation via this form by 23:59 monday 09 April 2018 AEST Be available for all of the program dates as listed inВ About Young Chef (excluding workshops) Need to see the templates & docs ?
your profile & your employers business feature on our website with a direct link to their restaurant website you & your employers business will be announced in our press releases to all state & national media we engage with you & your employers place of business through our social media communications platforms we invite you to participate in our educational workshops.
you & your employers business will be announced in our press releases to national media you & your employers business will be announced in our press releases to state & national media we engage with you & your employers place of business through our social media communications platforms we can provide a press release to your employer to send out to their press contacts we invite you to participate in our educational workshops we invite national finalists employers to the awards night on Monday 06 August 2018 so they can participate in industry networking on a national scale.
the application 6 hours:В В (approx.)В to complete your application depending on how much you can do at any one time. We recommend that you write a draft of your application answers, then a week later look at the answers again to finalise them finalistВ + 1 day/1 night: В В if your application is selected, youВ will be required for approximately 1 day/1 night judging in Sydney to select 2-3 state finalists state finalist + 2-3 days:В if selected as a state finalist, you will be required for judging and events spanning approximately 2-3 days (all states) in Sydney national finalist + 5-6 days: В if selected as a national finalist, you will be required for mandatory judging/ events for approximately 5-6 days in total (includes produce tour, dinner &В the awards evening.
we provide you with sufficient lead time to be able to arrange these dates with your employer, so you are able to get the most out of your involvement in the program.В to get a better overview of the different stages of the program, please read theВ 2017 datesВ here.