Our Story

The Proud to be a Chef program recognises, develops and supports apprentice chefs to become the culinary leaders of tomorrow.

By investing in the foodservice industry at a grassroots level, we’re doing our part to help support the next generation of chefs to build on their passion and strive for greatness in kitchens across Australia.

To succeed, young chefs need a few ingredients; passion, determination and guidance. That’s why for 25 years, Anchor™ Food Professionals has hosted the Proud to be a Chef mentorship program.

In February 2025, 32 lucky finalists will fly to Melbourne to embark on a 4-day fast-paced program. There they’ll be introduced to world-class chefs and be immersed in extraordinary culinary experiences at some of Australia’s most famous foodie locations.

Since 1996, we’re proud to have supported over 600 apprentice chefs through the Proud to be a Chef program. At the end of the 4-days, our judges and masterchefs award one lucky apprentice an international culinary scholarship to reward their commitment and passion for food.

Past winners include:

2024 Georgia Manganas
2023 Archer Houghton
2020 Amber Heaton
2019 Joel Nobel
2018 Rebekah White
2017 Giles Gabutina
2016 Jake McKenzie

2015 Mitchell Tucker
2014 Ashlee Carter
2013 Jacob Hoskin
2012 Sonja Dawson
2011 Keryn van Kempen
2010 Kate Ager
2009 Robin Turner

2004 Matthew Morris
2003 Jonathon Kemble
2002 Matthew Macartney
2001 Candice Webber
2000 Megan Knapp
1999 George Calombaris
1998 Karena Dunn

32
Participants
From all over Australia

4
Days
All expenses paid

3
Mentor chefs
Learn from industry greats

1
Scholarship
Choose your destination

The Program

For 25 years, our aim for Proud to be a Chef has been to encourage, reward and recognise future culinary leaders in the foodservice industry.

Experiences

Enjoy once-in-a lifetime learning experiences for Australia’s apprentice chefs.

Relationships

Get opportunities to develop relationships with outstanding chefs and educators.

Education

Learn how to concept and create dishes using world-class dairy products.

Mark Normoyle

For six years, Chef Mark has been the Chef resident mentor for the Proud to be a Chef program. Day-to-day, he’s the Anchor™ Food Professionals Executive Chef Consultant for Australia, Asia and beyond. Some of his past key roles include, Wagyu Beef ambassador for the Gifu prefecture of Japan, Yuzu ambassador for Kochi Japan, Executive chef for Tune Hotel Group Malaysia and Executive Chef for the Royal Melbourne show back in 2019. His career highlights to date include hosting food and culture tours in Japan, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka and working alongside the original Iron Chefs of Japan.

George Calombaris

Recognised and respected worldwide for his culinary genius and passion for food, Chef George is the epitome of a cheffing legend. His accolades stretch far and wide - a decade of judging MasterChef Australia and running a number of hugely popular restaurants around the globe, including Hellenic Republic, Melbourne’s own little piece of Greece - to name a few. George’s experience with Proud to be a Chef started back in 1999 when he took home the coveted international scholarship, and it’s that reason he’s thrilled to be back as a mentor to pass on some of his expertise and sought after skills to our finalists.

Angelica iuliano

Chef Angelica’s Italian roots kickstarted her passion for cooking. After double-qualifying in Patisserie and Commercial Cookery, she apprenticed at The Langham Hotel, worked both cookery and pastry at Riserva Wine Bar, Baia Di Vino and Donovan’s, and as pastry chef at Dinner By Heston Blumenthal. Since 2023, she’s worked as the Group Pastry chef for Melbourne’s MoVida, working across Original, Next Door and Aqui. Her culinary philosophy sees her infuse innovative twists into classic desserts to create memorable experiences, which she’s looking forward to sharing with the next generation of culinary talent.

To celebrate the 25th year of Proud to be a Chef, our finalists will get to experience:

Master classes

We believe the best way to learn is through a mixture of hands on and demonstrative classes. This ensures our finalists leave the program with more skills and culinary knowledge than when they arrived.

Culinary experiences

Finalists get access to a range of dining styles and cuisines. It gives them a chance to fully experience restaurants that are often unattainable on an apprentice chef’s wage.

Field trips

Find out the best way to create award-winning dishes through site visits to places like the Queen Victoria Markets.

Who can apply?

If you’re an apprentice chef that’s passionate about food, committed to the foodservice industry and love to learn and try new experiences then we’d love to hear from you.

To be eligible to apply, you must be:

18 years old or older as of 4 February 2025.
An apprentice chef, studying in a government recognised cooking course and/or working in the foodservice industry.
A current resident of Australia.

Please note: Successful applicants may be subject to reference checks as part of the entry criteria.

How to apply

To complete your application, you’ll need create an original recipe and tell us why you are passionate about food and cookery, where you would like your apprenticeship to take you and what you are hoping to get out of the mentoring program.

Enter your details, including where and who you study or work under.
Tell us about yourself and your career aspirations through either a 30 second video or 50 word summary.
Tell us about your dish concept, including which of the products you’ve used from the Anchor Food Professionals family*. Please note, this is the dish you’ll work with mentors to create during the program.

Applications close 31 October 2024.

*Anchor Food Professionals products include: Anchor, Western Star, Mainland, & Perfect Italiano.

A winning experience

As well as a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship experience, at the end of the program we reward the efforts of a few lucky finalists.

Win an international culinary scholarship

Over the course of the 4-day program, our judges and masterchefs will be on the lookout for the young apprentice who has shown the most growth and passion. The lucky finalist will then be awarded a scholarship worth over $7,500 to the culinary institute of their choice.

Win achievement awards

At the event, we’ll also award a few finalists for any outstanding achievements, including Best Sweet Dish, Best Savoury Dish and more.

25 years of mentorship

For the past 25 years, we’ve helped young apprentices to learn the tricks of the trade. Here’s what that’s looked like for our finalists.

This experience has inspired me even more than I was before. It has got me thinking about different career opportunities and has given me more confidence.