It’s on again – Australia’s leading foodservice mentoring program Proud to Be a Chef returns for 2021, with entries open as of September 1.
Culminating in the award of a Culinary Scholarship valued at $7,500, Proud to Be a Chef gives 32 apprentice chefs from all over Australia the chance to be part of a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Over four days they will undertake an all expenses paid experiential journey embracing masterclasses, skills workshops, dining at prominent restaurants and invaluable networking opportunities with peers, industry leaders and program mentors.
Proud to Be a Chef also includes ‘hands-on’ educational trips including to dairy farms, wineries, food markets and more – along with a focus on topical concerns: from what the foodservice sector’s ‘new normal’ is likely to be post-COVID, to building mental resilience so as to better cope with the demands of this challenging industry. Food and environmental sustainability, personal and business branding, and how to utilise social media to boost one’s business profile are all on the agenda for Proud to Be a Chef 2021.
In launching the 2021 Proud To Be a Chef program, resident mentor Mark Normoyle of Anchor Food Professionals said: “This is my second year with Proud to Be a Chef and it is truly an amazing program to be part of. I’m sure I got as much out of it as our finalists did – the camaraderie and team spirit that it builds is wonderful, and the relationships that are forged are ones that will last for the long haul. I’m still in contact with our last set of finalists and we’ve been sharing ideas and innovations, with everyone trying to help each other out during the tough times of the past few months.”
Mark adds he is very excited about the plans for Proud to Be a Chef 2021: “We had a record number of applicants last year and we’re hopeful we’ll surpass that this time around. We have two amazing mentors – our Pastry Mentor is Josh Cochrane, Executive Pastry Chef at RACV City Club, and our Savoury Mentor is Jo Barrett, Co-Executive Chef at Oakridge Wines. They’re both extremely talented, so I’m really excited about working with them to put together a fantastic experience for our finalists which is going to be even bigger and better than last year.”
To enter Proud to Be a Chef, applicants need to complete the online form, submit an original recipe using an Anchor Food Professionals product and explain why they are passionate about food and cookery, where they would like their apprenticeship to take them, and what they are hoping to get out of the program. Entries close 14th November 2020.
For full details visit http://www.proudtobeachef.com.
