THE annual South West Apprentice Chef Challenge is continuing to build productive networks within the regional hospitality industry, drawing a good field of contestants and supporters to this year’s competition.
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Twelve apprentice chefs competed in the challenge that was this year hosted at South West TAFE’s Endeavours restaurant.
The challenge has previously been run as part of the Warrnambool Show but moved this year to South West TAFE because it needed a bigger venue.
Coordinator Peter Inverarity said the drop-out rate for first-year chef’s apprentices was high and the challenge helped them connect with other apprentices and operators in the hospitality industry who could provide support.
“It brings everyone in the industry in on the one day to have a get together,” Mr Inverarity said.
The challenge, on Sunday August 14, is run in conjunction with a regional barista competition that was won by Briony Mattner from the Flying Horse in Warrnambool.
Rebecca Harris, also from the Flying Horse, scored her third gold medal in the apprentice challenge, winning the third-year apprentice category with her seafood dish.
The Flying Horse’s Justin Carroll, who won a silver medal in the competition last year, won the second-year apprentice category with his lamb backstrap.
The first-year apprentice section, in which contestants made a fruit tart, was jointly won by Kimberly Caldow of Portland and Stephanie Knights from Images in Warrnambool.
The event also paid tribute to Hotel Warrnambool chef Mary Whelan who was inducted into the South West Hospitality Hall of Fame.
Ms Whelan has worked at the Hotel Warrnambool for more than 30 years and has trained numerous chef’s apprentices.
She was also one of the judges for this year’s apprentice challenge.
Other judges were fellow Hall of Fame member Wendy Robb and Caroline Monaghan and Judy Rafferty from the Bon Appetit Fine Food Society.
The day also featured a cooking challenge between members of the south-west media and other community groups which was won by a Warrnambool City Council team led by Cr Brian Kelson.