Behind the Apron: Jimmy Han, Nestlé's Golden Chefs Hat Award Winner 2023

Oct 11, 2023

The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is a truly one-of-a-kind opportunity for the next generation of chefs - giving them a platform to showcase their unique skills, develop new relationships within the industry, and demonstrate their love and passion for cooking to prospective employers, all while being judged to industry standards. 

Plenty of talented young chefs competed from across Australia and New Zealand - with Victoria’s Jimmy Han taking home the glorious Golden Chef’s Hat in the end! We chatted with him to find out more about his thoughts on the competition, cooking, and the next steps forward: 

 

Barcats: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. We’re all so excited for your recent success being crowned the Nestlé’s Golden Chef of the Year!

Jimmy: Thanks so much, I’m still coming down from it all, getting back to reality - as I still have a year left of my course. 

 

Jimmy Han’s winning dish for Best Savoury Award: ‘Orange in Autumn’, Murray Cod with chorizo, fennel wakame salad, sweet potato puree and tom yum butter sauce.

(Source: Nestlé Professional)

 

Barcats: So, what’s your journey been like?

Jimmy: To be honest I’ve only been in Australia since last July, that’s when I arrived. I signed up with William Angliss and decided to get formal chef training via their Commercial Cookery course (Cert III and IV in Hospitality). All up it’s two years in total. 

Barcats: Where are you working right now?

Jimmy: ARU, which is in the CBD – it’s currently ranked the best restaurant In Victoria. It’s very much like a small family. We’re all very close – so they were excited about my win. With all my family overseas it’s nice to be able to celebrate with this close-knit group. 

 

Jimmy Han’s winning dish for Best Dessert Award: ‘Winter in White’. Vanilla black pepper bavarois. Sable lemon gel, white chocolate soil with shaved macadamia and raspberry jelly.

(Source: Nestlé Professional)

 

Barcats: What is your dream, Jimmy? 

Jimmy: Ultimately, my goal is to own and run my own restaurant here in Australia – perhaps it’s a fusion of my cultural background and the casual dining vibe that’s so prevalent here in Australia. I love that here you can mix cuisines and there is no rule book. In Taiwan, where I’m from, it’s very traditional and it’s harder to break out of the mould. But I think that I need 10 years until I’m ready to confidently go out on my own. I’ve still got a long way to go in my culinary journey - I want to learn from the best Chefs in the world.

Barcats: What else do you love doing, apart from cooking?

Jimmy: I’m obsessed with photography; I love taking photos of food I’m cooking or eating, but I also like street art and life in and around Melbourne. You can see my latest shots on my Instagram page.

 

Source: @jimmyhan.note on Instagram

 

Barcats: Amazing shots, you’ve obviously got a great eye and palate to boot! So, looking at the competition you just won, what was the best takeaway from it?

Jimmy:  It was all about all the connections I’ve made and building relationships. I’ve met some fantastic chefs, who are all inspiring. It was very much a tight group, like a big family. 

I think it’s because I don’t have any family here in Australia, so I wanted to make those connections as I’ve definitely felt homesick at times. I think that’s why I just threw myself into [cooking]. Every minute I had, I chose to spend in the kitchen. Practice, practice, practice, and more practice – Just honing my skills and technique.

Barcats: And when do you head overseas [for the first-place work experience prize]?

Jimmy: Next year in late January.  

Barcats: What will it involve?

Jimmy: First I’ll go to London to do a culinary stage in the kitchen of celebrated chef, Anton Mosimann at Mosimann’s Club, which is one of the most prestigious private dining clubs in the world. I’ll then shadow the National Australian Culinary team at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart Germany and watch them compete. It’ll be great! 

Barcats: [What advice do you have] to inspire the next generation of young chefs interested in participating in this competition?

Jimmy: Get very well-prepared - I think I spent 7-8 hours a day 3-4 days a week practising. I used my culinary teachers and my mentors in my workplace to help shape and build my menu that I presented. Also read the instructions - so many of us came unstuck here, including me! Just practice, practice, practice, because it seriously pays off!

Congratulations to Jimmy Han on his 2023 first-place win, and we look forward to seeing what he does next. Click here to find out more about the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, and happy cooking!