Apprentice chef Carmelle Larson is preparing to turn the heat up on her culinary competitors next month in the finals of the AUS-TAFE National Apprentice Competition.
Apprentice chef Carmelle Larson celebrating her win with trainer Kellie Smith.
Carmelle, a second-year apprentice from Warragul, recently won a gold medal at the AUS-TAFE Culinary Trophy State Finals in Geelong last month. As a result, she’s now preparing to go head to head with the best apprentice chefs from around the country at the national final in Melbourne on 4 & 5 September.
Culinary trainer Kellie Smith said she’s been working with Carmelle to get her ready for the big event.
“Carmel has so much passion and love for food; she has a natural talent when it comes to flavours and presentation and a perfectionist who strives for excellence in every dish she prepares and presents,” Kellie said.
“This is the second time she’s won gold at a state level and we’re very much excited to see what she can do at nationals next month. She’s really honed her skills over the past year and I’m confident she’s going to produce some very gold-medal worthy dishes for the judges in Melbourne.”
Each year the Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) hosts the AUS-TAFE cooking competition across all Australian states, designed specifically for apprentices and culinary students.
Five TAFE Gippsland apprentices and two non-apprentice students competed in the state finals against their regional Victorian counterparts at the Gordon Institute in June, preparing, cooking and display an array of different dishes for the judges to assess.
Kellie, also a certified judge for the ACF, said the competition is a great opportunity for emerging chefs to hone their skills and expand their professional networks.
“This comp is a lot of fun for the students as well as being a great learning experience,” Kellie said.
“Cookery competitions give students the opportunity to not only to put their culinary skills to the test against their peers, it ignites a passion for excellence and success by recognising and rewarding them for their hard work and dedication. It also helps them create a valuable network of contacts to inspire them further.”
The national final will be held in The Culinary Challenge Arena at Fine Food Australia, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 4 & 5 September 2024.
ACF Judge Belinda Clements (William Angliss) with Carmelle and Kellie.