Hats off to our top young chefs

TASMANIA’S rising culinary stars have faced off in the 2019 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award for a chance to win a place in the national finals.

Eight two-chef teams did battle in the Tasmanian finals at TasTAFE Drysdale Campus yesterday, tasked with creating a two-course menu.

Launceston’s Country Club Tasmania duo Adam Lockhart and Jomarie Gealon took home the top prize and are now destined for the public arena at Fine Food Australia in Sydney this September.

It was the second consecutive year Mr Gealon had taken out the Tassie prize.

“I didn’t feel like I was going to win this year because everyone is really good,” he said.

“I practised four times a week for the competition to make sure I could get the flavour and texture right.”

Mr Gealon was in charge of dessert, serving up white chocolate crème de pepper, a salted caramel and white chocolate mousse with cinnamon, a white chocolate cinnamon sponge, soft peanut brownies and oats, peanuts and panko crumbs with honeycomb garnish.

He said he would be fighting hard to bring home the national prize for Tassie.

“This award is about pushing yourself to be a better chef,” Nestlé Professional executive chef Mark Clayton said. “It offers young talent the opportunity to put their skills to the test, get creative and really find out where they are as a chef so they can accelerate their culinary journey.”

The 54-year-old Golden Chef’s Hat Award is Australia’s longest running culinary competition for young chefs, with the national winner awarded a culinary trip of a lifetime to North America.