The 4th Nestlé Golden Chef Hat Award has seen a record number of participants, attracting the highest number of entries since its inception in 1994, with over 270 entries from hotels, colleges, hospitals, catering companies and eateries from across Malaysia.
However, only 26 chefs have made it to the final cook off in the fourth installation of the Award – presented by Nestlé Professional – which provides ambitious and creative young Malaysian chefs with the unique opportunity to showcase their talents and creativity to top industry professionals; opening new frontiers for them to become the country’s next generation of exemplary chefs.
Out of the 26 finalists, 15 of them are chefs from leading hotels including Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, Resort World Bhd, Park Royal Penang, The Westin Kuala Lumpur, Tanjung Jara Resort, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Hyatt Regency Kuantan, Hotel Imperial Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Equatorial Melaka, Berjaya Tioman Beach, Golf & Spa Resort and the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort in Sabah. The remaining eleven participants are from various colleges and eateries which included Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam and UiTM Dungun; Institut Hospitaliti YPJ, Johor; Politeknik Merlimau, Melaka; Imperia Academy of Tourism; Kolej PTPL Shah Alam and J’s Wok & Grill Restaurant.
Open to Malaysian citizens below 28 years of age, the Nestlé Golden Chef Hat Award competition is organised jointly with the Chefs Association of Malaysia and Taylor’s College School of Hospitality and Tourism.
With a growing trend of out-of-home food and beverage consumption among Malaysians, Nestlé Professional which is a Globally Managed Business Unit established under Nestlé, is fully dedicated to responding to the needs of out-of-home food and beverage operators.
“As part of the world’s largest food, nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé Professional supports the hospitality industry and helps towards the development of a new generation of chefs who will raise Malaysia’s culinary excellence to a higher level,” said Puan Zainun Nur Abdul Rauf, Business Executive Manager of Nestlé Professional Malaysia.
“We are honoured to play a part in giving a chance for young aspiring chefs to go further in their career,” she added.
The young professionals competing for the Golden Chef Hat Award began by proposing a written menu comprising of an appetizer, soup, main course and dessert. At the Grand Finals, the finalists are given 3½ hours to complete the menu they created which will then be judged by a panel of seven foreign and local chefs.
The Champion will walk away with a Challenge Trophy and RM6,000 in cash. The 1st Runner-Up will receive RM3,000 in cash, while the 2nd Runner-Up will receive a RM1,000 cash prize. All the finalists will also be receiving a certificate of participation endorsed by the Malaysian Association of Hotels and the Chefs Association of Malaysia, but perhaps most valuable of all is the recognition they will earn from their peers.
The winner of the inaugural competition – Ong Hai Leong – is now the Resident Manager of the Crown Jewel Hotel in Penang, while the winner of the second competition – Ahmad Esa Abdul Rahman – is now sharing his knowledge with aspiring chefs as a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Department of Culinary Arts. The winner of the last competition which was held in 2005, Malcolm Goh, is currently a Demi Chef at Le Meridien Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“Competitions like the Golden Chef Hat Award are a stepping stone for young chefs in the industry to showcase their talents. It provides good exposure and creates friendly competition amongst chefs around the country and it helps the industry in many ways such as making the public aware that Malaysian chefs are able to create world class cuisine,” said Goh.
In addition to the Golden Chef Hat Award competition, Nestlé Professional also supports other culinary related activities such as the Golden Chef for Chinese Cuisine competition, Culinary Arts Awards competition for colleges in the hospitality industry, Salon Culinaire Malaysia, Salon Gastronomique Penang and Sabah Hospitality Fiesta.
About Nestlé Professional
Nestlé Professional is a Globally Managed Business Unit which evolved from Nestlé Foodservices to be managed as a global, independent business; completely dedicated to responding to the needs of Out-of-Home food and beverage operators. It is a significant business with sales of over CHF6 billion annually and 10,000 employees in 97 countries.
Nestlé Professional is currently the market leader in the Out-of-Home sector and as part of the Nestlé Group; the Division is able to offer customers products that are specifically designed for Out-of-Home use, depending on the requirements of the particular channel. The Out-of-Home market business in Malaysia is valued at an estimated at RM11.2billion annually.
Channels covered under Nestlé Professional Malaysia include full service and quick service restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, pubs, canteens, hospitals, schools and coffee shops. Nestlé Professional Malaysia has a wide range of Food and Beverage products to cater to the needs of different channels. 90% of the products offered by Nestlé Professional in Malaysia are produced locally, with the remaining 10% imported. All the products by Nestlé Professional Malaysia are 100% Halal.
|
Issued by WestCoast Communications Sdn Bhd on behalf of Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad For media enquiries, please contact Alfyan Adnan or Lashvinder Kaur at 03-7954 4505
Download this press release (PDF):
English Version
Versi Bahasa Malaysia
中文语言 |