Chef of the year in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Food & drink

Chef of the year

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9999 5460

Address: 1 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia 3006 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website: www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au/special-events/chef-of-the-year

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25.01.2022 This week we visited Moke Restaurant in the seaside town of Flinders, catching up with two times champion Michael Cole and industry partners Unox Australia. Lunch was eight amazing courses. Make sure you book for this incredible dining experience only 90 minutes out of Melbourne.

25.01.2022 Many of us have been working from home since March, which likely means you haven't been able to visit your usual office lunch spots. We know you're probably getting bored of what you're whipping up in the kitchen, so Insider asked Michelin-starred chefs to share their favourite quick lunch recipes plus their tips and tricks so you can easily re-create them. Find out more here https://bit.ly/3prLz90

24.01.2022 Tools of the Trade. Chefs love their knives, but what are their other kitchen must-haves? 11 top Chefs share their top five utensils here https://www.taste.com.au//top-chefs-share-their-t/otohextf

22.01.2022 Some tough words on the work ethics of young people and the impact on mental health. Do you think there has been an ‘over correction’ in the hospitality industry?

17.01.2022 Happy International Chef's Day! We would like to celebrate some of the Chefs that have inspired many throughout Chef of the Year. Committed to passing on their knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation of chefs! To all Chefs out there, thank you for all you do within our industry!

17.01.2022 Chef of the Year entries are open! The Chef of the Year competition will now be running in Sydney from 8-10 November as part of Foodservice Australia. According to head judge John McFadden, chefs have been hit harder than anyone by the lockdown. "Competitions like this bring people together and provide focus and inspiration." To make it easier we will be waiving entry fees and the requirement to be currently employed. Entries are now open, previous entries for the original Ma...y show dates will be automatically rolled over. This event is made possible with the support of industry leaders Anchor Food Professionals, Australian Pork, UNOX AUS, Alsco Australia, International Convention Centre Sydney - ICC Sydney and Robot Coupe. Don't miss your chance to be crowned Chef of the Year 2020. Go on - what have you got to lose? Enter now https://bit.ly/2Ydkxqm

16.01.2022 How does a chef get through one of the most challenging times the hospitality industry’s ever faced? The Merivale executive chef, Dan Hong behind restaurants including Mr. Wong, Lotus, Queen Chow Manly hopped on the phone to talk about the most helpful things in his life right now. Read more here https://bit.ly/36kb03F

15.01.2022 Congratulations to Chef Rick Stephen who was awarded an Order of Australia in today’s Queens Birthday Awards. It was awarded for significant services to tourism and hospitality, particularly as a chef.

15.01.2022 Four years ago we were in Greece at the World Chefs Conference. So many great friends and great times. Looking forward to getting together again soon.

15.01.2022 The Greek island of Ikaria is known worldwide for its incredibly high life expectancies which has been attributed to its Mediterranean diet. It’s also the home of Meni Valle’s family cooking traditions. The Melbourne chef travelled to the island to collect recipes but discovered that there so much more to the secret of longevity. She’s collated the recipes and life lessons in a beautiful book called Ikaria: Food and Life in the Blue Zone. She shares with Jacinta Parsons a ver...y special recipe for Orange Pie. Find out more here https://ab.co/2SQGfwx See more

14.01.2022 Melbourne is finally opening with restrictions on hospitality to ease from this Wednesday. This is great news for chefs keen to get back to work. From Wednesday 28 October > All retail stores open... > Hospitality can reopen with 20 indoors (max 10 per space) and 50 outdoors (max 10 per group) > Food courts can reopen (max 2 per table and average 1 person per 8m2) > Weddings can have up to 10 and Funerals 20 From Monday 9 November > People can move freely throughout Melbourne and regions > Hospitality moves to 40 indoors - but still a maximum of 10 per space > Hospitality moves to 70 outdoors - maximum average 1 person per 4m2

14.01.2022 It is with great sadness that we share the news that our good friend Chef Gary Farrell passed away today, suffering a heart attack at home. Gary was well known to the professional chef community around the world. He was Captain of the Australian Culinary Team for eight years and director of Chef of the Year competition for the last ten. He was considered one of the most talented chefs in Australia and made a huge contribution to industry development. Long time colleague and ...friend Tim Collett said the loss would be felt by chefs across the globe. "Gary was just so enormously talented and driven. He wanted perfection and would push everyone hard to be better. It could be exasperating at times but he would give you that cheeky smile and share his vision. He normally got his way". Gary leaves behind his beautiful wife Renae and three adored children Maci, Kiki and Saxon. We pass our love and best wishes to them in this difficult time. The chef of the year competition will be running in November and dedicated to the memory of our lost friend.

13.01.2022 Jaehyuk (Jack) Lee won the Chef of the Year Competition in Sydney in 2018, taking the title after an exciting cook against chefs Noami Lowry, Jason Martin and Andrew Ballard. We recently spoke to him about the experience and the impact on his career. Where were you working at the time? "I had just finished working for the Hently Farm Restaurant in Adelaide and moved to Melbourne. I was getting ready to open my own cafe Bean Smugglers in Point Cook."... What made you enter the Chef of the Year? "I thought this would be a great opportunity to see where my skill level was standing as a Chef. The Chef of the Year is a national competition for working chefs so I thought it would be the perfect chance to challenge my skills and knowledge against top professional chefs." How was your experience? "It was almost overwhelming. I was suddenly cooking in front of an audience as well and had the judges checking my station every single minute. I was cooking against the other competitors as well as the clock. It was the quickest one hour in my entire life and can say it was the biggest pressure I have felt in any kitchen. By going through next rounds, I started really enjoying the pressure and got better on organising my workflow, enjoyed the cheering from audiences just a meter away from my cooking station and could start remembering the feedback I received from judges and implemented on my cooking. It was not just about the competition, but also the opportunity to be able to watch other amazing chefs cooking right in front. It gave me a chance to learn lots of new skills and technique." Did winning the competition change your career? "Winning Chef of the Year 2018 gave me and my business a massive exposure to public media. We had stories in all the local newspapers and featured on large promotional documentary series as well. I made good connections with other competitors and previous winners which is an ongoing motivation." What are you doing now? "I am running Bean_smuggler Café in Point Cook, trying to introduce the new level of brunch culture to the Western suburbs of Melbourne. We started monthly dinners event as well to introduce my cooking in semi-fine dining style. The lockdown has slowed us down but takeaway continues. When things improve I plan to open another venue with my team, focusing on more dinner service." Entries are now open for this year's Chef of the year competition, previous entries for the original May show dates will be automatically rolled over. Don't miss your chance to be crowned Chef of the Year 2020. Go on - what have you got to lose? Enter now at https://bit.ly/2DRF4c2

13.01.2022 Chef John Lanzafame won the Chef of the Year competition in 2010. We spoke to him about the experience and the impact on his career. Why did you enter Chef of the Year? "I had already been involved in a few competitions including the Culinary Olympics in Germany and the World Pizza Championships. At the time I was busy with the Lanzafame Trattoria at Star City. But I love competing and wanted to show my staff that anything is possible if you have heart and soul."... How did you find the experience? "It was a great experience. The competition was run by Gary Farrell and was professional from start to finish. I enjoyed meeting the other competitors and it was a real thrill to win. It boosted my self-belief and go get it attitude. " What are you doing now? "I am a chef ambassador for Visco Fine Foods and a consultant to a number of hospitality outlets. I still love cooking and hope to get back into a restaurant one day in the future." Thanks for the great insights Chef John Lanzafame! Entries are now open for this year's Chef of the year competition, previous entries for the original May show dates will be automatically rolled over. Don't miss your chance to be crowned Chef of the Year 2020. Go on - what have you got to lose? Enter now at https://bit.ly/2DRF4c2 This event is made possible with the support of industry leaders Anchor Food Professionals, Australian Pork, UNOX AUS, Alsco Australia, International Convention Centre Sydney - ICC Sydney and Robot Coupe.

13.01.2022 At Godi La Vita on King William Road in Hyde Park, Federico Godi’s melted cheese-wheel pasta is legendary. The Forager speaks with Federico about how his upbringing in Florence shaped his passion for modern Italian cuisine. Read the article here https://indaily.com.au//qa-godi-la-vita-chef-federico-god/

11.01.2022 Despite everyone working hard to keep the competition alive for this year we are sad to announce that the Chef of the Year competition will have to be postponed. Chairman of Judges John McFadden said it is another blow for the industry after a tough year. I know everyone was keen to get together. But we just cannot do it fairly and safely under the current conditions. Chef of the Year is an annual event that runs alongside the Foodservice Australia trade exhibition, Nati...onal Restaurant Conference and ACF Restaurant Challenge. These events have all been postponed and will now run next June in Melbourne. Event Director Tim Collett said he wanted to thank all the judges and chefs who had entered. We had an amazing field of competitors. I hope they will all consider entering again next year. I also want to thank our sponsors Anchor Food Professionals, Australian Pork, Unox Australia, Robot Coupe and Alsco. They have all committed to next year which means the competition will just keep getting better and better. Chef of the Year will now run from 27-29 June 2021 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Visitors and competitors will need to register again for the new dates. Click here for more www.chefcompetition.com.au

10.01.2022 Congratulations Melbourne - five donut days in a row. Let's hope it keeps going and hospitality gets back to full strength soon.

10.01.2022 Entries are now open for Chef of the Year 2021. Are you, or do you know, an outstanding chef? Enter now to be part of Australia's leading competition for professional chefs. The Chef of the Year competition is a test of creativity, culinary knowledge, and ingenuity. This exciting competition pits chef against chef in one-hour heats, preparing dishes from a mystery box of ingredients. The competition will take place over three days at Foodservice Australia, 27-29 June 2021 at ...the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in collaboration with UNOX Australia, Anchor Food Professionals, Australian Pork, Alsco Australia and Robot Coupe. Cook your best dishes and you could walk away with the trophy and share of $10,000 cash. Don't miss your chance to be crowned Chef of the Year 2021 - Entries are free and start with a simple online entry form. Go on - what have you got to lose? Enter Now www.chefcompetition.com.au

10.01.2022 Are you, or do you know, an outstanding chef? Entries are now open for Australia's leading competition for professional chefs. The Chef of the Year competition is a test of creativity, culinary knowledge, and ingenuity. This exciting competition pits chef against chef in one-hour heats, preparing dishes from a mystery box of ingredients. The competition will be held over three days at Foodservice Australia at ICC Sydney in collaboration with UNOX AUS, Anchor Food Professional...s, Australian Pork, Alsco Australia and Robot Coupe. Don't miss your chance to be crowned Chef of the Year 2020 - entries are now open. Go on - what have you got to lose? #chefoftheyear2020 Enter Now https://bit.ly/2DRF4c2

07.01.2022 Why buy an imported product instead of a homegrown one? But ask a chef and there’s a good chance they’ll insist on buying Italian tomatoes with a couple of exceptions. Three top Aussie chefs and a chief botanist weigh in. Do you have a preference? Read more here https://www.broadsheet.com.au//tinned-tomatoe-aussie-chefs

05.01.2022 Good news. The Premier of Victoria has just announced an easing of restrictions in Melbourne starting tonight: > The 25km and metropolitan travel limits have been removed > Hospitality venues can have up to 40 patrons indoors with one person per 4m2 and 70 patrons outdoors with one person per 2m2. It is really important to note the maximum of 10 patrons per space indoors remains. ... > Indoor entertainment venues such as theatres and museums can open with maximum 20 people per space and density limits > Live music can return with a 5m distance from audience and 2m between performers > Maximum of two visitors in private homes remain, but can be from different households and no daily limit From 22 November they will ease further: > Hospitality venues can have up to 100 patrons indoors with one person per 4m2 and 200 patrons outdoors with one person per 2m2. Total venue capacity is 300 patrons. > Food courts increase capacity to the lesser of 50% of normal seating or a density of one person per 8m2 and a maximum of four per table. Outdoors this is limited to 50 people per area and one person per 2m2 with a maximum of 20 per table. > Funerals and weddings can have 100 people indoors > Private gatherings can have up to 10 people in private houses and 50 people in public places See the summary of Step 3 and Last Step here: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au//201108%20-%20Third%20Steps

04.01.2022 Chef Shannon Martinez hopes her new cookbook will get dirty. In that well-used, dog-eared, food-splattered way. We rate her chances very highly. The cookbook, Vegan with Bite, launched on October 7, building on Martinez's mission to persuade people to eat less meat. Featuring more than 80 plant-based recipes with a focus on affordability and flavour, the cookbook is as much for meat-eaters as it is vegans, perhaps even more so. "Around 70 per cent of customers at Smith & Daug...hters are not vegan," says Martinez. "It reflects the way people are eating now, cutting back meat. Vegans are already on that path, but if we can change the way meat-eaters eat, the impact of that on the environment and animals is massive." Check out some recipes from 'Vegan with Bite' here https://www.goodfood.com.au//five-recipes-from-shannon-mar

01.01.2022 Well known chef Peter Wright has been appointed as Director of the Chef of the Year Competition, taking over from Gary Farrell who ran the event for the past decade but was tragically lost to a heart attack last month. Peter says it is important we keep this exciting event not only running but getting bigger and better every year. We will be building on all the hard work done by Gary to get the competition to the current level and take it even further. The competition is a g...reat place for chefs to test their skills and support each other in improving their craft. John McFadden continues as Chairman of Judges and has endorsed the appointment. He says it was a huge shock to lose Gary as a friend and as a key part of this event. However, I cannot imagine a better person to build on the legacy than Peter Wright. He has the organisational skills and the respect in the industry to make it happen. John also announced the winner’s trophy would be named in honour of Gary Farrell. He says he put so much work and passion into the event. He had a vision to make it the best in Australia and he achieved that. It will help to inspire chefs and be an ongoing tribute for Gary and his family. This year the Chef of the Year competition will be running as part of the Foodservice Australia exhibition at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from 8-10 November. It is proudly presented by Unox Australia, Australian Pork and Anchor Food Professionals. For more info and online entry visit www.chefcompetition.com.au