He’s appeared on a gastronomic stamp collection, won the Culinary Olympics twice, written numerous cookbooks and is Chairperson of the WorldChefs Culinary Competition Committee. Chef Gert Klötzke of Sweden is quite possibly the most distinguished and prominent chef in the world.
Gert is making his way Down Under at the end of this month to judge the country’s top student culinary competition. It will be his first visit to New Zealand and his first chance to taste what our country has on offer.
He along with an elite group of chefs has been drafted to judge this year’s Nestlé Toque d’Or competition. For chefs like Gert it’s serious stuff, as many future careers in the hospitality industry springboard from competitions like this. For this year’s competitors, showcasing their skills in front of Gert Klötzke could arguably be their most exciting or terrifying career experience to date.
Now in its 26th year, Nestlé Toque d’Or is one of the most anticipated events of the year for the hospitality industry. It’s a student culinary showdown that showcases a thrilling array of young culinary and restaurant service talent. Every year, the event becomes even more exciting, as the students seek to lift the bar from previous competitions and dazzle the judges with clever techniques and intriguing menus.
The students are studying and training in culinary arts institutes all over the country. They’re the best in their fields and just being allowed to compete is an honour. Each team consists of two culinary students and one restaurant service student. They must prepare and serve six covers of a three-course meal in just two-and-a-half-hours.
Gert and the team of judges will assess competitors against WorldChefs judging criteria, which covers a range of areas including: timing, taste, food preparation skills, service, presentation and hygiene.
The competition takes place on 29 July 2016 at the Auckland Showgrounds. An awards dinner will be held later in the evening where the winning team will be announced.
