In conversation with Beau Vincent at Guillaume at Bennelong, Sydney on competiting in chef competitions
I'ts Lexus Young Chef of the year competition time again!!!
"You learn heaps, being involved with Lexus Young Chef of the Year Competition. Mainly about primary produce and how to deal with situations when you are under pressure, and meeting chefs and people along the way. It's also the small things you notice like the way other chefs practice in their own restaurants and their own life experiences." Beau Vincent
Born? Tamworth, New South Wales.
Experience? Small pub in the country close to home, then I moved to Sydney and got a lucky break working for some great chefs; Tetsuya Wakuda at Tetsuya's and Guillaume Brahimi at Bennelong. Then a little time off with my girlfriend in France and Spain then on to a job working as a chef on My Restaurant Rules in the Sydney restaurant called Pink Salt. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being in the spotlight. I had a short time afterwards at Bistro Stock in Balmain, then to Assiette in Surry Hills with owner/chef Warren Turnbull and now back to work at Bennelong again for the second time.
Favourite cheap eat? I love Billy Kwongs, it's pretty cheap and really tasty.
What keeps you going? Girlfriend, friends, family; the love and passion for cooking and Snickers bars.
Advice to future chefs? Be persistent in what your doing, there's not much money in this business at early stages of your career, so be prepared for hard work and it will pay off in the end.
Favourite kitchen tool? My hands.
On hearing about the competition, what made you enter? I have a competitive spirit, like meeting people and mostly, the prize. It's a fantastic opportunity for young chefs to get a name for themselves out there.
Most useful cookbook? Season to Taste by Liam Tomlin, very useful.
Early influences? Tetsuya is such an amazing chef and a great guy, also Guillaume. They both influenced me at a young age and now are people that I look up to.
How can we keep attracting new chefs into the food world? Maybe advertising the other alternatives; you don't have to work behind a stove your whole life. You can be a food writer, a spokesperson for food retail businesses and what about your own cooking show? If all these options are known or more obtainable for the every day chef then we would get more of a broad spectrum of people interested in the food world.
Career you would have pursued if you didn't become a chef? Maybe an agent of some description or maybe a fireman, ha ha! Not sure.
Career turning point? Moving from little country town Walcha to Sydney.
Favourite sport? I love tennis, recently loving soccer for obvious reasons.
Ingredient obsession? Butter.
On Modern vs classic trained chefs? I love and respect people who have classic training in the old school.
What would you suggest to a chef thinking about entering Lexus Young Chef of the Year? Give it your best shot, there are heaps of opportunities which come about from being a participant and plenty of interesting people to meet.
Sharpest tool in the rack Clair Feig from Melbourne's Richmond Cafe and Larder.