CHEFS AWARDED

More than 80 hopeful young chefs sweated it out in the NorthTec kitchens when they took part in this year’s Northland Hospitality Championship. Competitors from NorthTec hospitality, trades academy, and high schools from all over the region battled for supremacy. This year the Penguin Wholesalers Northland Training Chef of the Year saw hospitality student Nik Ponomarov gain a silver medal on both Live Knife Skills and Salmon Main course classes and a gold medal in his Live Dessert class, earning him an overall gold medal. Nik will represent Northland at the national finals in Auckland in July.