Fijian Chefs Off to Russia After Big Win in Melbourne
Two Fijian chefs claimed top honours – gold medals – at the Global Chefs Challenge Pacific Rim semi-finals in Melbourne, Australia, last week. The win guaranteed Team Fiji a coveted opportunity to compete at the Global Chefs Challenge Finals during the 2020 World Chefs Congress in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Winning awards were:
Pacific Rim Global Chef – Navneet Reddy (Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort) won gold medal;
Global Pastry Chef - Muni Vikash Chetty (Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort) won gold medal; and
Global Young Chef – Ravinesh Prasad (Marriott Fiji Momi Bay Resort) won a silver medal and a bronze medal won at the Battle of the Pacific Restaurant Challenge on June 23.
Mr Reddy is the most awarded young Chef in Fiji and is a Sous Chef leading a team of young chefs at the Outrigger’s Sundowner Bar and Grill Restaurant.
Mr Chetty, the most awarded Pastry Chef in Fiji, leads the pastry team where he trains many other young chefs.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort general manager Darren Shaw said: “The key quality in them to win many awards back to back is the love and passion for food and cooking with a flair! Our chefs won gold medals in culinary awards in Melbourne. Hopefully, I can play my role to help these guys develop in that role.”
Fiji Chefs Association President Davendra Reddy said the Fiji Chefs Champions had come a long way to achieving their titles as they competed alongside top chefs from Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands in their respective categories.
Mr Reddy said: “I personally believe this is one of the biggest achievements for Fiji chefs with two major titles to Fiji. We are definitely not only sandy beaches and palm trees, but a hub of fine cuisine that reflects our motto “Fiji Chefs… culinary passion of the Pacific.
“Our cuisine styles are focused on the three pillars that define us internationally our culture, our heritage and our food.” Mr Reddy added that the competition was intense because all the competitors were chosen for their distinct skill levels and international exposure and judged according to the World Association of Chefs Society criteria by certified judges.
The last Fijian to have won the Global Chef (known as One World Culinary Challenge) was Fiji Chefs honorary President and mentor Shailesh Naidu in 2007.