Apprentice chef Amity Lobb has combined well-honed skills and a passion for cooking to produce an award-winning menu, impressing judges at this year’s state final of the Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat Award.

Amity’s reverse seared pork loin with gnocchi and wild mushroom followed by a carrot cake dessert earned her a gold medal and the chance to compete at the national final of the Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat Award in September.

The Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat Award is designed to support emerging culinary talent and is open to apprentices and young chefs under the age of 25 across Australia and New Zealand.

Amity, who works at Adelaide Oval and studies at TAFE SA, took part in the competition last year and after watching her colleague Flynn Hawksworth take out the 2022 state award, she was determined to try again this year.

“It was helpful to have done it once and know what to expect on the day,” she says. “I wanted to improve on last year and I’m proud of this year’s result.”

Amity served her pork loin with instant mash gnocchi, creamy black garlic mushroom sauce, with mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and fried enoki and presented a brandy-soaked carrot cake with Goat’s cheese, walnut meringue, white chocolate sheet, lemon myrtle mousse and carrot peel tuile.

She says the dishes were tested and refined over time, with encouragement from the team at Adelaide Oval where she is a third-year apprentice.

As part of her apprenticeship, Amity has worked at the Five Regions Restaurant and is now based in the functions and events kitchen.

“Adelaide Oval is an amazing place to work and I have the opportunity to learn so much through the different areas of hospitality that they offer,” she says.

Amity is completing her Certificate III in Cookery through TAFE SA’s Regency Campus where, she says, she appreciates the chance to learn from many different lecturers who have worked around the world and have a lot of knowledge to share.

Encouraged by her Year 10 Home Economics teacher to pursue her interest in cooking, Amity studied a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations while still at school and recalls taking part in the Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge which provided her first taste of competition.

She says Italian food, especially pasta, is her favourite style to cook for the variety of flavours it offers, but she’s enjoying learning about different styles and techniques.

“What I like about cooking is being able to turn simple ingredients into a whole dish and watching people enjoy the experience of eating that meal,” she says.

Amity is one of 12 finalists from across Australia and New Zealand who will compete at the Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat grand final being held in Sydney as part of Fine Food Australia in September.