For main course in the Tasmanian cook-off, Meg served up a crumbed chicken breast with onion and mushroom puree, coffee hollandaise, carrots and Jus Lié. For dessert, she plated up a chocolate mousse with wood spiced anglaise, oranges, and an oat crumb. It impressed the local judges, and booked her ticket to Melbourne where the Grand Final will take place in the ACF Culinary Challenge Arena at Fine Food Australia on Monday and Tuesday September 2 and 3. Not only is the title of Golden Chef of the Year on the line, but the winner will also earn an unforgettable culinary travel and work experience adventure to Singapore in October, a package worth $10,000. “I wasn’t expecting to get that result at all, so it took like a week or so for it to sink in. But now it has, and I’m fully underway getting ready for the final,” Meg says. “I just had the goal for myself that I wanted to make something that tasted good and that I was proud of, that was all I was aiming to do, I definitely wasn’t expecting to win at all. Because I don’t get to do much finer dining style of cooking at work, it was just a really great opportunity for me to be creative for a couple of hours and I just went in there wanting to be proud of what I achieved coming out of it. “Even aside from the competition in the final, I’m being introduced to, I imagine, lots of renowned chefs across Australia, and I think a couple of international chefs as well who will be doing a little bit of work experience and some master classes while we’re over there. So even aside from the competition, just the whole week is one big cooking experience that this time last year, I couldn’t even imagine I would get the chance to do. “Win or lose in the competition I’m still so, so glad that I’ve had the opportunity to be able to go. It’s going to be fantastic.”
45 Tasmanian Hospitality Review Aug/Sep Edition
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