Australia’s chefs are invited to enter The Golden Knife chef competition – the first step on ‘The Road to Lyon’ to compete in the world’s most prestigious culinary contest, the Bocuse d’Or.
Four finalists and their commis (assistant) chefs will compete at Foodservice Australia on Sunday 18 May 2025 at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in front of a live audience.
The competition is not for the faint-hearted – finalists have five and half hours to prepare two world-class dishes, one presented to judges on a platter and one on a plate.
In 2025 for the first time, the winning chef will receive a four-year mentoring and career development program, training alongside Australia’s 2025-7 candidate Paul Golding, in preparation for the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific in 2028.
Meanwhile the winner of the Best Commis Chef Award will join Paul to compete in the next Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific contest.
Created by iconic French chef Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or (Gold Bocuse) is held in over 60 countries round the world, with regional semi-finals followed by a Grand Finale every second year in Lyon, France.
Bocuse d’Or Australia’s Honorary Life President, Philippe Mouchel, who was mentored by the Paul Bocuse himself, says participating is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a chef to challenge themselves and represent their country.
“Not only is The Golden Knife an exciting and challenging competition in its own right,” Philippe explains, “it is also part of a long-term program that will truly elevate the chef to new heights and nurture their talent and culinary creativity.”
Philippe adds that the panel of judges – including himself, Vice President Deepak Mishra, and previous competitors Tom Milligan, Dan Arnold, and Michael Cole – are looking for a chef whose talents go beyond cooking.
“He or she must have the tenacity and the drive to succeed, the ability to create masterpieces under immense pressure, and the support of their employer and family to train and compete at events in Asia and Europe,” he says.
Philippe encourages interested chefs to apply quickly, entries close 6 April and the four chefs and four commis chefs will be announced mid-April. Each of the four finalist chefs will receive $500 to put towards their travel and training costs.
Caption: Commis Chef Bethany Harman competes in the Golden Knife 2023.