Last year’s four-person team of Commercial Cookery apprentices took out an overall silver medal at the challenge and a gold medal for Best Main Course. 

This year Bega TAFE is sending four new but no less talented apprentices to compete in the challenge in which a team is given a “mystery box” of ingredients and asked to conceive and prepare a three-course meal. 

The team that will travel to Sydney to compete at Ultimo TAFE on October 10 consists of team captain Matthew Crossley, Jackson Griffith, Noo Ben and reserve Zoe Crosbie. 

The team recently performed the first of two practice sessions at the Bega TAFE campus under the watchful eyes of commercial cookery teacher Dave Arens and head teacher Hospitality and Tourism Deirdre Jory. 

The team were given their “mystery box” at 8am and had one hour to devise their menu and collect any additional ingredients from the TAFE kitchen. 

Once the cooking started at 9am the team were not allowed to get another single ingredient, “not even a pinch of salt” said Mr Arens. 

Mr Ben started the day by taking charge of the entrée, Balmain bug and goat’s cheese souffle with pine nut and tomato crumb and caramelised prawn.

Team captain Mr Crossley cooked the main, a dish of duck breast, prosciutto boudin, cauliflower and balsamic jus, while Mr Griffin made a macadamia nut semifreddo for dessert. 

Zoe, a school-based apprentice, is the team’s reserve, responsible for menu planning, ingredient collection and a back-up in case one of the team injure themselves. 

“They are learning to work together as a team, that’s what these practice sessions are about because Matt and Jackson have worked together before but the others haven’t,” Mr Arens said. 

Mr Arens and Ms Jory took the role of judges in the practice session, awarding points on taste, presentation and creativity. 

“After they’ve presented the last dish we’ll sit down with them and give some feedback, point out all the little things the Sydney judges will pick up on,” Mr Arens said.