A Hunter Region team has won the overall state trophy in the annual Johnson’s Club Chef Competition – and made the best entree.
The team consisted of two apprentice chefs each from TAFE NSW’s Ourimbah, Hamilton and Kurri Kurri campuses.
Michelle Murray (Saddles Restaurant, Mount White), Daniel Peel (Crowne Plaza, Terrigal), Andrew Coleman (The Nel, Nelsons Bay) and Jasmine Hansen (Hunter Valley Resort, Pokolbin) battled it out against TAFE NSW teams from Loftus, Ryde, Northern Beaches and Ultimo on Tuesday in Sydney.
The competition was intense, with teams producing three courses in a set time frame using the same ingredients.
Competitors were not told until the day of competition what ingredients they would be using, and had only an hour to develop their menu.
The Hunter and Central Coast team were overall winners in the event, taking out the state trophy and winning best entree – a sous vide snapper fillet with asparagus puree, pickled baby carrots, blueberry and fennel curried fillet and snapper crackling.
The competition provides the opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate and showcase Australia’s largest training provider to the hospitality industry.
Participating students undertake special training to expand their repertoire of skills in readiness for the competition.
