COMPETITION INFORMATION
Who Can Enter?
Apprentice and junior chefs, who are:
- Australian or New Zealand residents or a holder of a valid visa during the competition period (15 May – 3 September 2026).
- Aged between 18 years old as of 1 March 2026 and under 25 years old as of 31 December 2026.
- A culinary student or currently employed (or recently employed within past 12 months) in a culinary profession (e.g., chef, cook, apprentice) and have the consent of their employer prior to entering.
Regional & Metro Cook–offs
The first phase of the competition is the Regional & Metro Cook-Offs (Round 2), see below for dates and locations. Each chef will prepare and present in 2.5 hours, two covers of each course: Main (Hot: Protein with appropriate accompaniments) and Dessert (Hot or cold).
The dishes will be judged to globally recognised standards with the opportunity to win medals at each stage.
2026 Australia & New Zealand Regional Dates and Locations
JUNE Saturday 13 June 2026 – New Zealand North Island, Auckland Location: Auckland University of Technology
Tuesday 16 June 2026^ – Northern Territory, Darwin Location: Charles Darwin University
Wednesday 17 June 2026 – NSW Regional, Grafton Location: TAFE NSW Grafton
Monday 22 June 2026 – Australia Capital Territory, Canberra Location: Canberra Institute of Technology, Woden Campus* *Please note there will only be induction stoves available at this location.
Wednesday 24 June 2026 – South Australia, Adelaide Location: TAFE SA Regency Campus
Sunday 28 June 2026 – Western Australia, Perth Location: Nth Metro TAFE Joondalup
Tuesday 30 June 2026 – NSW Regional, Newcastle Location: TAFE NSW Ourimbah Campus
| JULY Tuesday 7 July 2026 – New Zealand South Island, Christchurch Location: ARA Institute of Canterbury
Tuesday 7 July 2026 – Victoria, Melbourne Location: William Angliss Institute
Tuesday 8 July 2026 – New South Wales Metro, Sydney Location: TAFE NSW Ryde
Thursday 23 July 2026 – Tasmania Location: TAFE Drysdale Launceston or Hobart Campus
Saturday 25 July 2026 – South Queensland, Brisbane Location: TAFE Queensland |
Please note that NSW Regional will consist of two heats in the following towns (Newcastle & Grafton). The NSW Regional participant who scores the highest points from the two NSW Regional heats will be invited to participate in Round 3.
^Please note the date for the Northern Territory Regional Cook-Off was previously incorrectly listed as 16 July. The correct cook-off date is Tuesday 16 June.
Grand Finals
The successful winners from the Regional & Metro Cook-Offs, will compete at the Grand Final Cook-off, to be held in the ACF Culinary Challenge Arena at Fine Food Australia in Melbourne on Monday 31 August and Tuesday 1 September 2026. The winner will be announced at an Industry Awards Dinner on Wednesday 2 September.
