8 minute read
CHEFS: HIGH STANDARDS
High standards
This year’s Australian Professional Chef of the Year competition had four finalists from pubs, each with a passion for cuisine, competition, and creativity.
FROM 19 to 21 May, chefs across the country competed in the Australian Professional Chef of the Year competition, where they were challenged to create dishes from mystery box ingredients. Of the 32 finalists, four hailed from pubs, evidencing the high quality of food and culinary training present in pub dining today. Australian Hotelier spoke to the finalists about why these competitions are important, what skills they bring to the kitchen, and the unique features of pub dining.
Collaboration and competition
Competitions such as the Australian Professional Chef of the Year are an opportunity for chefs to put themselves to the test, and to shake up the way they work. This was the main appeal for Nicolas Liget, executive chef at Sydney’s Harbour View Hotel.
“When I made the choice to compete, it was to get out of my comfort zone. If you’ve been cooking for more than 20 years, you know what you’re doing, but you want to challenge yourself to make sure you’re still learning. It’s also good to see the other chefs around you, what level they’re at, and what they are doing,” he said.
For Tan Minh Tran, chef de partie at The George Hotel Bathurst, the competition provides an opportunity for chefs to learn from one another, as well as raising the profile of the industry.
“This competition is an opportunity for chefs to exchange knowledge, to learn each other’s cooking styles and cultures. Furthermore, this competition also allows more people to understand Australian cuisine,” he said.
Lee-anne Mohr, head chef at Queensland’s Surfair Beach Hotel, identified a similar benefit.
“I’m always surrounding myself with positive people, competitive people. I love competition, and you learn so much from other chefs around Australia, from how differently they cook and their different techniques,” she said.
Evan Burrows, a Melbourne-based area chef with Australian Venue Co., prefers the mystery box format of the Australian competition to similar competitions in the UK.
“In the UK, you get six weeks to plan your menu, perfect it, make it as many times as you can, and then you cook it for the judges on the day. Whereas in Australia, you don’t have anything except your knives and your recipes that you’ve been using for years. For me, that makes our competition more successful and of a bigger scale.
“What makes the competition so prestigious is chefs from all walks of life competing. Everyone is in the same boat. You have the same equipment and the same ingredients. In Europe, you’ve had weeks to practice, you can bring as much equipment as you want, and if your kitchen doesn’t have that equipment, you could be at a disadvantage. In Australia, it’s a level playing field,” he said.
Mohr noted that she was one of only four women in this year’s competition, out of a total 32 finalists. She explained that female chefs are often overlooked, or lack the confidence to enter competitions such as this.
“Women are super strong. Most of my kitchen team are women. If you give them the opportunity to speak their mind, they will come up with dishes and they can all do as well, if not better, than the male chefs. You just need to give them an opportunity. I would love for more women to get involved.”
Zest and zeal
For many chefs, cooking is more than just a job; it is also a passion. Mohr explained that she thinks of cooking as an artform.
“I see myself as an artist. When people come to see you, they feed on your art. To have clientele see your art is so rewarding,” she said.
Feedback from consumers is also important for Tran.
“The best part of being a chef is using my passion for cooking and seeing guests’ appreciation of my work,” he said.
However, the practical side of cooking is just as important for successful chefs as drive and inspiration. For example, Mohr prides herself on her organisation and ability to perform under pressure.
“Having a background in high-end dining, where I thrive in high-pressure environments, I have honed my skills in multitasking, time management, and maintaining quality under demanding circumstances,” she said.
Burrows identified a similar strength in his own work, but as his career has developed, he is developing new skills.
“My strengths have changed over the years. Now I’m in a leadership role, my strengths are teaching junior chefs and getting them to the level where they need to be. When I was a newer chef, my strengths were my organisation on the line, looking like I’ve got nothing on my bench but everything’s coming out exactly perfect,” he said.
Training the next generation is also a focus for Liget.
“For me, cooking and being a chef is a passion, but what I think I’m doing well is transmitting that to the younger generation and sharing what I have learned in the past. It’s important to transfer the legacy for the next generation,” he said.
For Burrows, a large part of training up and coming chefs is ensuring that they are comfortable with the basics, such as cutting techniques and food preparation.
“The basics are where a lot of chefs fall down. They try to run before they can walk. If you get the basics right, you’ll be a more respected chef than if you can make a really outrageous dish.”
Next level offerings
With current cost-of-living pressures, value is a key concern for consumers, especially when eating in a pub. However, Burrows explained that the expectation of quality has increased, as consumers need to see a reason for the dish’s price.
“Back when I was working in the UK, a pub meal was the next step up from home, but now it can’t be that. Now, you have to produce something that people are willing to come out and eat. The food has to be elevated to keep people excited.
“It can be a chicken parma, but it needs to be an elevated chicken parma, with five or six different types of cheese on it, and a preserved lemon salad dressing instead of just a simple vinegar,” he said.
Aesthetics are also a key part of engaging consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials.
“Consistency in preparation and plating is important, because that provides interest for the customer. These days, customers, especially younger ones, want to experience beautiful things, and they eat with their eyes before they order,” Tran said.
Thankfully, chefs have the skills to provide quality meals at an affordable price.
“My background is in fine dining, and I want to show people you can go to a pub and get quality food, healthy food, and for a price that is accessible to everyone,” Liget said.
Creativity and innovation is ever-present in pub kitchens, as seen at the Australian Professional Chef of the Year competition. This is proof of the industry’s ability to adapt to changes and challenges over coming years.
A personal favourite
Chefs make the same dishes multiple times a day, but there are some that stand out among the rest. Australian Hotelier asked the finalists what their favourite item was on their menu.
Burrow’s favourite dish combines both aspects of the pub’s food and beverage offering.
“I’m really focused on seafood, and I think that the mussels really epitomise The Wharf. It uses cider in the broth, because at the end of the day, we’re a pub and we serve alcohol. It combines the front of house and back of house together in one dish,” he said.
Slow cooking was a favourite technique for Tran, Mohr, and Liget, as it enhances and enriches the flavours.
Tran uses this technique in his favourite lamb shank dish.
“First, I soak the meat in wine and vegetable stock for two to three hours to get more flavour, and then I slow cook it for another two to three hours. The balanced texture and flavour is really enjoyable for the customers,” he said.
Slow cooking elevates the beef pie at the Harbour View Hotel.
“My background is in fine dining, so what I have tried to do at the Harbour View Hotel is bring simple food to a different level. Australians love a pie, but I bring our pie to the next level of quality by using slowcooked brisket,” Liget says.
Alongside the slow-cooked beef cheek gnocchi, Mohr said that the double-fried Korean buffalo wings was another favourite dish.
“It’s a very time-consuming process, but it’s definitely worth it, and people come back asking for more.”
