Victoria's best cookery apprentices will demonstrate their culinary expertise in the state finals of the annual Australian TAFE Culinary Competition to be held at Victoria University's Footscray Nicholson Campus on 26 and 27 September 2011.
In the largest apprentice competition in Australia, the top 100 up-and-coming chefs from 30 TAFEs and registered training organisations across Victoria will compete in VU's state-of-the-art training kitchens.
VU has six competitors, including apprentices from the Academy Sofitel, a VU partnership with the Hotel Sofitel Melbourne.
All contestants will demonstrate the fundamentals by creating a French omelette before they tackle more challenging cuisine. First-year competitors will be required to prepare a six-point rack-of-lamb dish; second years, a fish entree and chicken dish; and third years, a pork dish and a pear dessert. The students have two-and-a-half hours from set-up to clean-up, and will be scored out of 100 on practice, preparation, presentation and taste.
The four top apprentices who emerge from the event will compete later this year at the national finals in Darwin for the coveted title of Apprentice Chef of the Year.
Peter Burgess, who coached the VU team last year to three bronze, two silver and a gold, said hosting the event was a great opportunity to showcase Victoria University's modern hospitality facilities. This is the first time VU has hosted the contest, now in its sixth year.
