Now in its 61st year, the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Awards is no stranger to nurturing emerging talent. This year will be no exception, according to Nestlé Professional’s Commercial Development Chef Elke Travers, who says the 2026 competition will be one to watch.
“Every year it just gets better and better. The chefs I’ve already seen competing have been great,” says Travers, who is currently travelling around the country for the metro and regional cookoffs.
As the competition enters its 7th decade, the chef says it will be a standout year, not simply for the young chefs’ talents – but also for the educators and partners that join the competition as it continuously expands.
“It’s a team of people coming together in food service that are all keen to drive young chefs do their best. From the partners to the talent and the educators that come through: everyone’s ramped up to give these opportunities to young chefs to stir up the industry and really help elevate their careers,” says Travers. “Nestlé is really passionate about giving future chefs opportunities to advance their careers.”
Among these partners are Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), which is providing red meat to the competitors, alongside the National Indigenous Culinary Institute (NICI), which is providing native Australian ingredients.
This year’s competition will see the young chefs work with a pantry list of Nestlé ingredients, alongside items from MLA and NICI. As ever, the chefs will create a menu and serve two portions in a strict time limit.
As Travers travels across the country for the cookoffs, watching young chefs vying for their place in the national finals, she’s seeing an increase in creativity, sustainable practices, and thoughtfulness.
“They’re very creative,” says Travers. “They’re thinking about how to incorporate sustainability hacks into their practices – from using up every part of the produce in different, creative ways, to using offcuts of lamb to make floss.
“They’re pushing themselves – and when you push yourself outside your comfort zone, you might not realise it at the time, but you definitely grow into a stronger, more positive, and able person.”
Travers says that the chefs who compete in the competition grow in confidence, both in their personal and professional lives.
“Putting themselves out there, growing their confidence, and meeting new people and contacts: it encourages that circular culinary career growth,” says Travers.
And the positive benefits aren’t just for first timers. According to Travers, the competitors who return for multiple years are able to refine their vision and increase their confidence.
She points to Emily Morgan, the winner of last year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award.
“She was just amazing. The first year I saw her, she was very quiet. But the next year she could have been running for parliament. When the competitors find something they’re good at, like she did, that’s going to fuel their confidence.”
2025 winner Emily Morgan
Many of the entrants have mentors in the industry who help them refine their ideas, such as Spirit House Head Chef Tom Hitchcock, a former national finalist of the competition, who last year encouraged a young colleague Baxter Sanderson to enter.
This personalised training is another advantage of the competition, and it’s given prior competitors like Sarah Jones the tools to succeed in her personal career as a chef.
Jones says that her mentor, Chef Steven Clark, would tell her, “This doesn’t define you”, whenever she seemed nervous or stressed in her training – and it’s a phrase which gave her the resilience to forge ahead in both the competition and in her career.
“Imposter syndrome is real, and it’s completely normal to feel the emotions … but those words from my chef pushed me through it to keep going, and by the end I understood that it was all a learning opportunity and gave me reason to keep coming back year after year.
“To this day he still says those words to me, and it helps level me back out, as a reminder that no matter what happens, I will be ok and I will continue grow,” says Jones.
Alongside the mentoring opportunities, Travers says the benefits of the competition are extensive.
“These young chefs are likely to gain mentor accolades for their CV, contacts around the world, and great prize opportunities. And it just gives them that accelerator once they enter the industry.”
As she continues judging the cookoffs, Travers adds that she’s incredibly excited to see the competition unfold.
“It’s a privilege to be part of the process again. I love to see the Nestlé product get used in such innovative ways, and some of those young chefs are coming up with such great ideas,” says Travers.
“These chefs are really mastering their craft, and I think we’re in for a fantastic final. It’s going to be neck and neck – they’re so close in their skill sets, it’s just going to come down to who can hold it together on the day.”
This article was produced in partnership with Nestlé Professional.
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