COMPETITION INFORMATION
Entries for the 2026 Nestlé Golden Chef's Hat Award open soon! Register your interest for competing in 2026 here.
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
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 – Victoria, Melbourne Location: William Angliss Institute
Tuesday 8 July 2026 – New South Wales Metro, Sydney Location: TAFE NSW Ryde
Thursday 8 July 2026 – New Zealand South Island, Christchurch Location: ARA Institute of Canterbury
Thursday 16 July 2026 – Northern Territory, Darwin Location: Charles Darwin University
Thursday 23 July 2026 – Tasmania Location: TAFE Drysdale Launceston 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.
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 on Monday 31 August & Tuesday 1 September 2026. The winner will be announced at an Industry Awards Dinner on Wednesday 2 September.
