Third-year commercial cookery apprentice Jesse Payne has been selected from 215 applicants for a place in the Anchor Food Professionals Proud to be a Chef program.
Jesse—an apprentice chef at Port Welshpool’s Rusty Gunard Hotel—is one of 32 apprentices who have been selected to take part in the prestigious mentoring program that offers aspiring chefs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from two of the industry’s brightest stars.
Mentors partnering with the 2026 finalists are Sarah Todd – renowned chef and television personality, whose rise to fame began on MasterChef Australia and Gareth Whitton - acclaimed pastry chef and founder of Melbourne’s cult favourite Tarts Anon.
Now in its 26th year, the program continues to connect emerging talent with world-class chefs through an immersive four-day program.
Fonterra Oceania Foodservice Director Victoria Landells said the mentoring program has a long history of elevating talent by providing a platform for apprentice chefs to learn from the best.
“We have a wealth of developing talent throughout Australia and New Zealand and believe that providing opportunities at the grass roots level will help elevate the next generation of chefs to be truly world class,” she said.
Resident mentor and Anchor Food Professionals Executive Chef Mark Normoyle returns to lead the judging panel in 2026, explaining that the standard of entries this year was so high that selecting the 32 finalists from the record-breaking 215 applications was difficult.
“This year’s entries were bigger than ever. All were of an extremely high calibre, but we had to narrow it down to an outstanding list of 32 aspiring chefs. I cannot wait to see what we can do together with our industry mentors,” he said.
TAFE Gippsland culinary trainer Kellie Smith said it’s a huge achievement for Jesse, who was awarded Best 3rd Year Apprentice & Overall Highest Point Scorer at the AUS-TAFE State Finals earlier this year.
These results reflect the dedication of our students, the support of local employers and the passion of our trainers, many of whom bring years of industry experience to the kitchen.
“Jesse’s selection for this program reflects not only her dedication to training, but to those around her—her employer and our trainers—many of whom bring years of industry experience to the kitchen,” Kellie.
“After months of training and mentoring from me, to see her perform so strongly on the state stage and to be selected for this prestigious program is proof of the skills and potential we have in our region.”
Jesse (front left) pictured at the AUS TAFE State Finals with culinary trainer Kellie Smith (centre) and fellow student Jessica Fraser (front right)
One standout apprentice who best demonstrates their passion and skills over the four-day period will be awarded a culinary scholarship tailored to their individual aspirations as a professional chef.
As part of the program, the finalists will travel to Melbourne for a four-day, experiential journey of masterclasses, skills workshops, and a full ‘paddock to plate’ experience, before using the end-product to create their own dishes.
Proud to be a Chef 2026 will run from 1 to 4 February in Melbourne. For more information visit www.proudtobeachef.com.