Chefs at all levels stand to benefit by seizing professional development opportunities

Professional development in foodservice is often achieved via participation in culinary competitions and further education opportunities, but the lockdowns and border restrictions over the past 18 months have led to many events being postponed or rescheduled. With the new year hopefully heralding a ‘new normal’, we take a look at the opportunities for chefs at all levels to further their professional development in the months ahead.

The Australian Culinary Federation facilitates multiple competitive events throughout the year, including the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, Australia’s longest running culinary competition for young chefs. Last year saw 11 regional heats run as live events, with only the NSW finals requiring a different format following the reintroduction of lockdowns.

The grand finals had been scheduled to be held live at Fine Food Australia 2021, but due to its postponement the decision was made to move to a virtual event held on 17 November. “It encompassed six time zones, with all 11 finalists livestreamed to a panel of judges and given a 10 minute slot to present the dish for each course and tell the story behind it,” the ACF’s Deb Foreman tells us.

While the number of participants was fewer than usual due to travel restrictions, the level of talent was nevertheless outstanding; female chefs dominated the finalist line-up and an unprecedented five gold medals were awarded. Golden Chef of the Year was awarded to Kimberley Tang who had previously competed in both 2016 and 2017.

Nestlé Golden Chefs competitors usually consist of a two-person team but due to the uncertainties about people being able to get together to practice, the decision was made to make the 2021 event individuals only. While the competitor format for this year’s event hasn’t yet been announced, the plan is to return to the usual approach as soon as is practical.

Looking ahead, Deb Foreman says the ACF has lots of competitions in store for the year. “I think competing is an integral part of a chef’s professional development – you get to network among your peers, and just going along to events at which they’re hosted, like Fine Food and Foodservice Australia, provides the opportunity to meet so many different people who can be beneficial to your career. And then the competition itself gives you the chance to showcase your menu planning, service skills and more. The regional finals for Nestlé Golden Chefs 2022 will take place mid-year, along with the next round of heats for Apprentice of the Year. Then in Fine Food in September we have a range of new events including a paella competition, pasta competition, burger competition, the Tabasco two-person challenge and an extended Pastry Chef of the Year competition.”

Deb adds that the ACF is expecting the turnout for events at Fine Food to be huge – “it’ll be the first time we’ve seen each other in a long while, so we’re eager to see all our chefs out and about!”

Another major event on the foodservice calendar is Chef of the Year, which sees a diverse range of contestants from across the country compete for the prestigious title at the Foodservice Australia tradeshow. Culinary Director Peter Wright tells us “Chef of the Year is really a battle of the chefs, it’s not a traditional competition structure. The highest score of each heat goes through to the semi-final, and the top four scores from that through to the final. It’s a big deal to win – you’re got the best four chefs out of the hundreds that enter, battling it out in the final. Those four who make it through to the final have already participated twice in two or three days, so it’s a very good test of skill – a lot of chefs have made their name through it, and there’s $10,000 worth of prizes to be had.”

Chef of the Year has been designed as a high-pressure event – “there’s nothing you can practise beforehand,” Peter explains, “because it’s a mystery box filled with sponsors’ products. Knowing who the sponsors are, you might glean some idea of what may be inside, but you don’t know what the exact ingredients are going to be until the box is opened.”

Participants also have access to a pantry which includes dairy goods, fresh fruit and dried goods – “we give our competitors scope for innovation, we don’t dictate all the ingredients, so it’s a good balance. Once we do the big reveal, the chefs then get a window of time to write their menus and have to create four entrees and four mains over a couple of hours and present them to our esteemed panel of judges which includes John McFadden as Chairman and Karen Doyle from the ACF.”

Apprentice chefs have a terrific opportunity for professional development by participating in Proud to Be Chef, a longstanding mentoring program run by Anchor Food Professionals. Proud to Be a Chef recognises, develops and supports apprentice chefs to become the culinary leaders of tomorrow.

Each year the Proud to Be a Chef panel of judges evaluates applicants from all over the nation on their demonstrated culinary passion, aspirations, goals and long-term commitment to becoming a chef, along with an original recipe submission utilising an Anchor Food Professionals product. The 32 finalists travel to Melbourne each February for a four-day, all expenses paid experiential journey of masterclasses, skills workshops, dining at prominent restaurants and invaluable networking opportunities with peers and industry leaders. The program culminates in one standout finalist being awarded an International Culinary Scholarship valued at $7,500 tailored to their personal interests and professional goals, while two other standout finalists receive a three-day internship with one of the mentors – who for 2022 are Anchor Food Professionals Executive Chef Mark Normoyle, Executive Pastry Chef Michael Germanos and Executive Chef Telina Menzies of Australian Venue Co.

Anchor Food Professionals Marketing Manager Kym Gill explains, “We want to create positive, life-changing experiences for our participants - to keep them engaged and inspired with their career choice over the longer term, and support them as they plan their next steps. Often apprentices start off on their journey, having made the choice to be a chef, but then there are questions like: how do I ensure my career is sustainable not just for the next 10 years but all my working life? You might want to do fine dining, you might want to start up your own business, you might want to progress up the chain to be an executive chef in a larger establishment.

“We have numerous RTO teachers who actively support the program and encourage their students to apply. And what we’re seeing come out of that is a growing sense of community for apprentice chefs and the creation of better support networks. I think the RTOs do a marvellous job supporting the development of apprentice chefs, and at Anchor Food Professionals we’re uniquely positioned in that we’re a large organisation with a strong HR department and we can offer mentoring support. We engage mentors who can inspire, give advice and encouragement because we understand this is a challenging industry and there is a role we can play to help. We don’t want to see apprentice chefs or others leaving the industry for any reason but a proactive choice to further their career. We want them to stay doing what they love and are passionate about and not step away due to lack of support.”

Kym says Proud to Be a Chef provides the opportunity for apprentice chefs to engage with like-minded peers and create networks that can potentially assist them in the future. “Through interacting with the mentors and each other, they can get ideas about where they would like to go and be exposed to possible career paths they may not otherwise have considered. We run the program over four days so it’s a truly immersive experience, where our finalists can step out of their everyday working life and just focus on their professional development. One of the wonderful things I hear sitting down to dinner with our apprentices is they’ve enjoyed this so much because they can sit down with like-minded people who want to discuss what they’re eating, the techniques of what’s been created, and even ideas about how we might do it better. So it’s not just a meal, it’s a learning opportunity. Proud to Be a Chef is all about education, relationships and experiences that feed your mind.

“We’ve watched our 2020 Culinary Scholarship winner Amber Heaton continue to excel and blossom in her career, through her participation in numerous opportunities, whether they be competitions or different avenues, and she’s a great example of how to maximise every opportunity that’s presented to you. Certainly talent and skill comes into it, but equally it’s taking a punt on yourself, putting yourself out there because you don’t know what might come out of it.”