Ready, steady, cook! Students compete in culinary challenge grand final

By Oliver Shedden

Sep 11, 2024

Judges George Santos and Rebecca Hart with grand final winners Grace Gibson and Mawa Abitama and fellow judge Braydon Maloney and event organiser Jacq Campbell. Photos: Oliver Shedden. Photo by Oliver Shedden

Bendigo TAFE, Echuca campus, hosted the 2024 Murray River Culinary Challenge Grand Final on Monday, September 9.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Three pairs of VET hospitality students from three regions took part in the challenge, which saw them having to cook an entree, main, and dessert to be tasted by judges Braydon Maloney, George Santos and Rebecca Hart.

All three teams were given the same menu: maple-roasted pumpkin soup with harissa oil and crispy croutons as entrée, herb-crusted lamb rack with olive oil mash, buttered spring vegetables and red wine jus as the main and spiced cranberry poached pears as the dessert.

While the teams’ menus were the same, they could interpret the dishes however they liked and present them in their style.

Grand final participants Molly McCormick, Rylan Farren, Brodie Burrows, Mawa Abitama, Grace Gibson and Jessica Spicer (not pictured) received certificates and feedback from the judges. Photo by Oliver Shedden

The culinary challenge is a partnership program with LLENs and Structured Workplace Learning Programs in Swan Hill, Shepparton, Echuca, Wodonga and Wangaratta.

The three teams that made the grand final represented the Campaspe region from Echuca College, the Murray Mallee Region, from St Mary MacKillop College Swan Hill and the Goulburn Murray Region, from St Anne’s College Kialla and Shepparton ACE Secondary College.

Two judges, George Santos and Rebecca Hart, have been involved with the challenge since it began and have judged the grand final every year.

Main dish herb crusted lamb rack with olive oil mash, buttered spring vegetables and red wine jus. Photo by Oliver Shedden

Campaspe Cohuna LLEN’s school-to-work coordinator and founder of the Murray River Culinary Challenge, Jacq Campbell, reflected on the event’s history and her pride in facilitating a rewarding program for students.

“I invented the culinary challenge 18 years ago in response to being involved in training students studying a certificate in hospitality,” she said.

“I saw the need for those students to have an authentic experience in the kitchen, a bit of pressure and an understanding of the world of hospitality and culinary industries.

All of the students were hard at work preparing the dishes. Photo by Oliver Shedden

“Looking back on it, I am very proud of how much the challenge has grown over time, and it wouldn’t work without the support of all the neighbouring LLEN colleagues and for us all to work together.

“It’s a great experience, and gaining the life skills to feed themselves gives the students confidence and belief in their abilities.”

Ms Campbell highlighted the students’ engagement in the local industry and said the challenge is a great way for them to network with hospitality professionals.

Rylan Farren dicing ingredients. Photo by Oliver Shedden

“Through the challenge, there are a lot of opportunities to engage with local industry; we hope we can draw local chefs and hospitality professionals to come in and guide and judge our students in the kitchens,” she said.

“We have many former participants in the challenge come back to us and judge the rounds, which is an excellent blueprint for our students to see success stories and people with their own businesses come out of the challenge.

“Some students get approached by local judges who are business owners and are offered apprenticeships, so it is a great way to begin their careers and make industry connections locally.”