Aiming to whip up a culinary storm

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“It is just awesome news [to be selected for the event] and it doesn’t yet feel quite real to me,” Michelle says.

“I am so excited to go to India as I have only ever travelled as far as Australia before.

“It will be incredible to meet other upcoming chefs and the competition will be a good test of pressure,” Michelle says.

“Of course so many things can go wrong when you are cooking so I am a bit nervous about that, but Frank has trained me so well and taught me great new techniques so I feel confident,” she adds.

In the initial round students will prepare a vegetarian dish made from a table of ingredients (like a magic box) and a lemon meringue tart for dessert. In the final round, they will make a classic French omelette, a prawn dish from a table of ingredients, and a tarte tatin to finish.

“This is really a once-in-alifetime opportunity as there is only one young chef selected from each of the 50 participating countries,” Frank says.

“We have been practising preparing dishes from pre-selected ingredients to help get Michelle used to this format.

“She is a very well rounded chef, having done both cookery and bakery through WelTec, so I am sure she will do well,” Frank adds.

Aged 21, Michelle is a Level 5 Diploma in Hospitality Management student at Whitireia and WelTec (Te P enga). She has already completed programmes in bakery, cookery and hospitality at WelTec. Michelle is currently working at Hippopotamus restaurant at the QT Hotel in Wellington, and hopes the Young Chef Olympiad will be a stepping stone to further work and travel overseas.

“I would love to work and travel around the world, and that is what I am hoping to do next,” she says.