Aaron Ward wins Appetite for Excellence Young Chef of the Year
Sous chef at Sixpenny, Sydney, named the best young chef in Australia.
A 27-year-old chef who began his cooking career 10 years ago peeling potatoes in the kitchens of the Manning River Hotel, Taree, on the northern NSW coast, was tonight named Australia’s young chef of the year.
Aaron Ward, now sous chef (second in charge) at Sydney’s prestigious Sixpenny restaurant, in Stanmore, was gonged Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Young Chef of the Year at a ceremony in Sydney.
Instead of doing chips to go with the local fish for a counter meal, Ward’s now doing potatoes with oyster and raw mushrooms as part of an 11-course tasting menu.
His skills and attitudes clearly impressed the judges. With a long and rigorous judging procedure, and a roster of high-profile judges including Singapore-based expat David Pynt, of the hit restaurant Burnt Ends, the Appetite program has evolved into the country’s most respected awards system for young restaurant talent.
At the same awards, Canberra law degree dropout Andrew Day, who works at the Japan-inspired Akiba, in Civic, was named waiter of the year. He lists his ambitions as owning a stake in three different food and wine ventures, finishing law and doing a business management degree at the same time.
The third tier of the 2016 Appetite awards — Young Restaurateur of the Year — has been won by Avoca Beach (NSW) chef and restaurant owner Cameron Cansdell who launched his own place, Bombini, last year after many years in Italian-accented restaurants including Bells at Killcare and De Bortoli in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
The trio win a variety of prizes that include overseas travel, mentoring with internationally acclaimed luminaries and work experience abroad.
The Appetite program was spearheaded by Sydney restaurateur Luke Mangan in 2005 as a way to stimulate and reward young talent in the restaurant industry.
“It’s evolved and grown into a community of really exceptional talent,” Mangan says. “Seeing how the alumni has developed over the years, in their careers and skills, is inspiring, not only for me and all the judges but also for those just starting out in the industry or thinking about it as a career.”
Senior judge and Melbourne restaurateur Guy Grossi says the chefs’ awareness about their raw produce has never been higher. “It’s so good to see such young chefs caring about the provenance of their food,” he says.