Berry Springs Tavern apprentice chef Amelia Love wins trio of bronzes at national competition

A young apprentice chef who plies her trade in the kitchen of a popular Litchfield tavern has come home from a high-profile national competition in Melbourne with a trio of bronze medals.

Apprentice chef Amelia Love accepting her prize for claiming the Darwin cook-off of the Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat Award from NT Australian Culinary Federation President David Brown. Picture: Supplied

Updated, September 13: A young apprentice chef who plies her trade in the kitchen of a popular Litchfield tavern has come home from a high-profile national competition in Melbourne with a trio of bronze medals.

Berry Springs Tavern apprentice chef Amelia Love, 18, who is undertaking her training via Charles Darwin University, recently competed as the Northern Territory representative for the Nestle Gold Chefs Hat National Finalist competition.

Last month, Ms Love, a first-time competitor, won the Territory heat with her dishes of confit chicken Maryland with sweet potato fondant, spinach, beetroot puree, and a spiced carrot puree, and duo chocolate brownie with Buondi coffee ice cream and rhubarb compote.

Earlier this month at Melbourne’s Fine Food Australia conference, Ms Love went up against 11 regional finalists, aged from 16 to 25 years, from across Australia and New Zealand.

Nationally awarded Berry Springs Tavern apprentice chef Amelia Love, 18, inside the commercial kitchen at Charles Darwin University's Palmerston Campus. Picture: Supplied

Contestants were required to cook three dishes in three hours, and were judged on criteria including the composition of the meal, harmonisation of colours and menu descriptions.

Ms Love’s competition dishes included a trio of vegetarian dishes for entree, a sous vide and stuffed roast beef for main, and a coconut and chilli brownie for dessert.

At the end of the competition, Ms Love, who only began cooking this year, came away with a trio of bronze medals.

“I went into the competition not expecting to win any medals so to achieve what I did made me really happy, especially after spending many weekends cooking and preparing for the competition,” Ms Love said.

“My lecturers at CDU encouraged me to sign up for the competition and they worked with me on my menu and helped to perfect my cooking.

“I really thank them for their support.”

The university’s Palmerston campus, home to the culinary arts, tourism and hospitality, hair and beauty, retail, sport, recreation and fitness, information technology, English language courses, children’s services and education support, will host its annual open day next Wednesday.

Visitors will have the chance to explore facilities, including CDU’s own training restaurant, Karawa, purpose-built tourism facilities, beauty, hairdressing and barbering salon, as well as participate in culinary workshops such as creating the perfect spring roll and de-boning chicken.

‘Career changing’: The two dishes that put apprentice chef on the map

Initial, August 7: A 17-year-old apprentice chef from Litchfield is headed to Melbourne to cook in front of a live audience after acing the Territory heat of a national competition now in its 59th year.

Herbert’s Amelia Love, an apprentice chef at Berry Springs Tavern, was crowned winner of the Territory cook-off as part of the long-running Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, now in its 59th year.

Ms Love, who was making her competition debut, will now progress to the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award Grand Final at Melbourne’s Fine Food Australia Expo, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest food service exhibition, in September.

There, she will go head-to-head with 11 other finalists, cooking over two heats in front of a live audience for the chance to win a prize pack worth approximately $10,000, headlined by an all expenses paid trip to Singapore’s Worldchefs’ Congress.

Apprentice chef Amelia Love's confit chicken Maryland. Picture: Supplied

At the Territory cook-off, held at Charles Darwin University, contestants were given two-and-a-half hours to prepare two courses consisting of a hot, protein-based main, and hot or cold dessert, incorporating at least four Nestlé products for judging by Nestlé Professional and Australian Culinary Federation judges.

Ms Love prepared a confit chicken Maryland with sweet potato fondant, spinach, beetroot puree, and a spiced carrot puree, while her dessert consisted of a duo chocolate brownie with a Buondi coffee ice cream and rhubarb compote.

Nestlé Professional Northern Territory area executive, Rob Waters, described Ms Love’s confit chicken Maryland as “wonderfully executed”.

Apprentice chef Amelia Love's duo chocolate brownie with coffee ice cream and rhubarb. Picture: Supplied

“All of this year’s Territorian participants should be extremely proud of the creative, highly skilled and delicious meals that were prepared,” Mr Waters said.

“It was an exceptional display of the region’s culinary talent.

“We were especially bowled over by Amelia’s dishes.”

Ms Love said the benefits to her career of winning the Darwin cook-off have already stretched far beyond the $800 prize pack she claimed.

“This experience has also helped build my confidence, skills and has introduced me to a supportive network of young chefs and judges,” she said.

“It’s a great honour to be a competition finalist as this is truly a career-making moment.

“While I am nervous, I’m immensely proud to represent the Northern Territory on the national culinary stage later this year as I continue to learn and grow with some of the most talented young cooks in the industry.”

Ms Love’s Berry Springs Tavern colleague Toby Caig won the Best Buondi Coffee Creation Award for the most innovative use of coffee beans after his chocolate and Buondi coffee panna cotta, orange and lemon granita and candied orange slice won favour with the judges.