Nestle Golden Chef 2019 challenge under way at Ryde TAFE
Food and flavour is currently all the focus at Ryde TAFE, with the Nestle Golden Chef challenge well underway. For today and tomorrow, 38 teams are competitng to create the best two-course meals for a spot in the national finals.
It has been a rapid rise for chef Billy Fox.
This time last year, he was competing in the Nestle Golden Chef challenge at Ryde TAFE. Now he has just returned from cooking in the world’s best restaurant and is preparing for the Culinary Olympics in Germany during January.
It is a glimpse of what is to come for hopefuls in the challenge at Ryde TAFE, where 38 two-chef teams will create a two-course meal during the regional finals today and tomorrow.
Winners will advance to the national final at Fine Food Australia at Darling Harbour in September.
The winners will be awarded a trip to North America.
Last year, Mr Fox and Matthew Wills’ (pictured) triumph led them to undertake a three-day work experience stint in the three-star Michelin Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, named the world’s best restaurant last year.
Mr Fox, who is the sous chef at the Huskisson Hotel in Jervis Bay, said the “unreal” stint was an eye-opening experience that was surprisingly friendly.
“They have a good brigade system of 50,60 chefs in the kitchen and they all have lunch together,’’ he said.
“It’s also an awesome little community. I’ve never seen anything like that. Everyone got in and helped each other with their job. Michelin-star restaurants aren’t like that.
“There’s often a lot of hostility in those places.
“It was quite cool to see a place of that calibre had so much respect for their staff.”
He said the Nestle competition was a great platform for young chefs.
“It opens so many doors in the industry. It’s a great way for a young chef to get their name out there,” he said.
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