Applications are open for the next Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef title. If you are a young chef aged between 18 and 26 years of age and aspire to grow your profile within the industry, then it’s time to step up to the plate.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is on the hunt for another Young Ambassador Chef to join its Hall of Fame and become the next emerging culinary rockstar on New Zealand’s food scene.
At the inaugural competition in 2021, young chefs Lyall Minhinnick, Ashley Knudsen and Sam Heaven battled it out in a beef and lamb cook-off which saw Sam Heaven crowned as the very first Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef.
Sam, who now works under Clare Smyth at Oncore in Sydney, says he saw the competition as a great opportunity to continue to grow his career.
“Winning brought new opportunities to work with the senior Ambassador Chefs such as Phil Clark. It helped me realise the path I wanted to be on and helped me pursue my dream of working with a Michelin-starred Chef.
“It also provided an opportunity to meet farmers and see first-hand how much care goes into creating the premium products that as a chef I like to work with”.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is looking to the future and wants to inspire young chefs to get excited about their careers in the restaurant industry.
Foodservice Manager Lisa Moloney says, “It is exciting to be able to shine a spotlight on the emerging talent coming into the industry. These young chefs are the future of New Zealand’s foodservice industry, and we can’t wait to showcase their talent.”
The Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador will join the four current Ambassador Chefs for 2023 and will ‘be someone who can showcase their passion for cooking with New Zealand beef and lamb and tell the paddock to plate story in an exciting and innovative way.’
Applicants are invited to put forward their best beef and lamb dishes between now and the end of March 2023. Entries will be whittled down to three finalists who will be invited to a live cook-off in Auckland with the current Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs, MacLean Fraser, BJ Sebastian, Cameron Davies and Andrew May on the judging panel.
The winning young chef will be named as the Beef + Lamb Young Ambassador Chef 2023 and will join the current Ambassadors for mentoring and working alongside Beef + Lamb New Zealand to raise their profile in the hospitality industry and help shape their future career.
For more information and to apply visit, thechefskitchen.co.nz
