Judge Geoff Scott presents Chef Deb Ridley with her Best Dessert prize at the Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat Awards. Photo: Supplied.
Canberra chef Deb Ridley is no stranger to the rigours of competition. This was her second year making it to the finals of the prestigious Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat Awards.
Last year, all three of her dishes were awarded a silver ranking. This year she has outdone herself with a gold award and the highest ranking dessert of the competition.
The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Awards has been offering opportunities for young chefs to test their mettle against their peers for 59 years, making it Australia’s longest-running culinary competition for young chefs.
The competition involves regional heats in all Australian states and territories, as well as North and South Island heats in New Zealand. Eleven finalists from these regional heats gathered at Melbourne’s Fine Food Australia Expo last week for the two-day grand final.
Golden Chef of the Year winner Archer Houghton of Melbourne celebrates with the other finalists and judges. Photo: Supplied.
Finalists are required to create, prepare, cook and present a three-course meal using ingredients from the set pantry and must feature Nestlé Professional products. The set pantry also includes native Australian ingredients. In addition to the top Golden Chef Hat prize, there are several other prize categories, including the best savoury dish, the sustainable practice award and the most creative use of a Nestlé product.
18-year-old Deb works as a Commis Chef at Louis in Hotel Realm and previously worked at Ondine in Barton. She has always had a love for baking sweets and making desserts, and her prize reflects this passion.
For the competition, Deb made a spiced pumpkin dessert of pumpkin entremets, brown sugar crumble, and candied pumpkin with berry and pumpkin gels.
Nestlé Executive Chef and Golden Chef judge Elke Travers told Region: “Deb’s creative use of these everyday chef pantry ingredients demonstrates her exceptional skills, technique and flair in the kitchen. This dessert is a testament to her ability to think outside the box and create a truly delightful culinary experience.
“The combination of seasonal produce, Nestlé Professional products, and Deb’s culinary expertise has resulted in a dessert that is not only visually appealing but also a delight to the taste buds. It is a perfect blend of innovation and tradition, displaying the best of both worlds in the world of dessert creation.”
Deb has won a $2500 prize to further her training and career.
Melbourne chef Archer Houghton, aged 21, was named the 2024 Nestlé Golden Chef of the Year. Archer has taken home the grand prize valued at $10,000, including a 14-day all-expenses-paid trip to the World Chefs’ Congress in Singapore and work experience at a renowned restaurant.
Find out more about the Nestlé Golden Chefs Award at their website.
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