London Next Port Of Call For Apprentice Chef

Newcastle Herald

Saturday October 23, 2004

By MICHELLE HARRIS

APPRENTICE chef Amanda Woodward could not have served her career a better week.

Ms Woodward was named the winner of the Brett Graham Hospitality Excellence Award on Wednesday, a day after taking out the TAFE-run Commercial Cookery Skills Competition.

She was one of three apprentice chefs from the Hunter area to compete for the prestigious Graham prize, decided at the Hamilton TAFE campus.

The 21-year-old from Corlette earned herself a trip to London, where she will complete a work placement at two-star Michelin restaurant, The Square, under the guidance of chef Brett Graham.

The competition process began this year when participants submitted a 400-word piece describing their passion for food and the Hunter area. The field was then narrowed to three competitors.

On the day of competition, each had to prepare a three-course meal for six people, including an entree of clear beef broth with poached quail eggs and a lemon tart with blueberry compote for dessert, as set by Graham.

The main dish was produced using mystery ingredients that were revealed on the morning of the competition.

The award's namesake, Brett Graham, is one of the Hunter's most successful chefs.

Ms Woodward said she was extremely excited about the trip and described it as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. She is now working as a third-year apprentice chef at the Port of Call restaurant in Nelson Bay.