Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Scholarship 2024: Supporting the Next Generation of Culinary Leaders at William Angliss Institute

Each year, Nestlé Professional is proud to support the annual Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat Scholarship program, a showcase of our unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of culinary leaders in the foodservice industry. This prestigious scholarship is awarded to domestic Vocational Education and Training students at William Angliss Institute who are pursuing studies in Commercial Cookery. The scholarship, valued at $4000 (AUD), aims to support students' skill development, travel, living expenses, and provide necessary tools and resources for their culinary journey.   

This year, five talented domestic VET students from the William Angliss Institute were awarded as recipients of the 2024 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Scholarship. Having shown exceptional passion and dedication in the field of Commercial Cookery, these students are now embarking on a journey to enhance their skills and pursue their culinary dreams, with the support of Nestlé Professional. Discover the inspiring stories of each of the recipients below. 

Recipient 1: Garam Han 

Garam Han’s long-term career goal was always to become a chef. Currently studying to develop his culinary skills, Garam has also dived head-first into participating in food competitions, with success at both state and national levels. He hopes that this scholarship will help him to further his professional development and journey to learning more technical skills about his craft.

Recipient 2: Chenye Lu 

Chenye Lu’s culinary journey began when she first tossed the wok at just 13 years old, discovering the magic of combining "possibilities and happiness together" through cooking. With this scholarship, Chenye aims to expand her skills and enrol in a Certificate III patisserie course. After graduating, Chenye’s dream is to work in a fine-dining restaurant and eventually open her own food business.

Recipient 3: Ethan Paxton 

Ethan Paxton was offered an opportunity to commence an apprenticeship and study cookery at the William Angliss Institute after only one month of working as a cook in the hospitality sector. Originally from a Computer Science background, Ethan has since developed a deep passion for the food industry, with a particular interest in the Melbourne Italian food scene. He believes that this scholarship will not only contribute funds towards fulfilling his dream of travelling to Italy and becoming a chef in one of the country’s great kitchens, but that the scholarship’s prestige will also help him stand out to do so.

Recipient 4: Gabriel Muldoon 

Gabriel Muldoon has overcome a series of difficulties throughout his career to get to where he is today. From having to drop out of school, to being underpaid by his employer, Gabriel has withstood these challenges to now have worked under well-known chefs such as Shane Delia for Mercedes at the 2023 and 2024 Melbourne Grand Prix. With this scholarship, Gabriel hopes to alleviate financial pressures he’s been experiencing and complete his training at the William Angliss Institute so he can become a fully qualified chef. Once he’s qualified, Gabriel hopes to go overseas and learn in some top-quality restaurants to expand his knowledge of cuisines.

Recipient 5: Felicity Burgess 

Felicity Burgess has always been passionate about food. Growing up in regional Victoria, her family had chooks and a veggie garden. Felicity would often spend time in the garden with her mum learning about composting, and learn about baking with her dad. With this scholarship, Felicity hopes to stand out to potential employers by attaining extra skills through short courses such as First Aid and latte art. She would also like to make some meaningful purchases of quality knives which would last her for years as a testament to her hard work at William Angliss. In the future, Felicity hopes to open up a small venue with a menu focused on produce grown and sourced from other local businesses.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Scholarship – we wish you every success in your future endeavors! Nestlé Professional remains committed to supporting and empowering aspiring chefs, ensuring a vibrant and innovative future for the culinary industry.

Learn more about the scholarship and how you can apply for 2025 here.