Competitions

Competitions give you a chance to showcase your skills as a chef, promote your restaurant & compete with fellow professionals. It is an essential part of the development of young chefs, it enables them to perform in an environment that puts them against their peers, which is a great challenge.

Restaurant Challenge 2024

The 2024 ACF Restaurant Challenge proudly sponsored by Queen Professional will be held at ICC Sydney as part of Foodservice Australia 19-21 May 2024. Teams will have the opportunity to pit their skills against each other and against the clock, competing for a share of the cash and prizes.

Culinary Challenge 2023

Culinary Challenge 2023 will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney as part of Fine Food Australia from September 11-14 inclusive. Chefs, trainees and apprentices will have the opportunity to pit their skills against each other and against the clock, competing for a share of the cash and prizes.

National Apprentice Competition

The NAC is a culmination of many apprentice competitions being held throughout the year in each state and territory and includes training chefs in each year of apprenticeship and a culinary students section. The best apprentice from each apprentice year and culinary student section from each state and territory are brought together to compete and decide the overall winners. The numbers of competitors, training schools, culinary educators that the NAC touches is staggering with in excess of 4,000 culinary students and teachers, each with links to industry resulting in exposure to over 10,000 chefs throughout Australia. State selection for the top 4 apprentice/student, one from each category will commence May contact your Region Chairman of Judges for details of the competition in your State. All regional finals are to be completed by 31st July. The 2024 National Final will be held 4-5 September in the Culinary Challenge Arena at Fine Foods, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge

Nestle Golden Chefs Hat

Is dedicated to helping junior and apprentice chefs develop their cooking skills and broaden their culinary horizons. It’s the longest-running culinary competition in Australia that offers young chefs the chance to really find out where they are as a chef, by pitting themselves against their peers and benchmarking their cooking skills. Taking part in the Nestlé GOLDEN CHEF’S HAT AWARD provides young chefs with the added opportunity of being mentored by culinary instructors and given access to a national network of professional chefs. The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award exists to support emerging culinary talent by offering the next generation of chefs a platform like no other to experience new opportunities and advance their chef careers. This Award offers apprentice and junior chefs a truly unique opportunity to showcase their skills in live cook-offs judged to globally recognised standards.