Overview
Leslie Hottiaux, the co-owner and head chef of Karangahape Road's Apero Food & Wine, has out-cooked nine other top chefs from the greater Pacific, including several from across the ditch, to be named winner of the Pacific region's S.Pellegrino Young Chef local challenge.
The competition seeks to find the best young chef in the world and annually attracts more than 3000 entries from around the world. With her signature dish of tortellini, filled with four different kinds of mushrooms and paired with pine nuts and crème fraiche, Hottiaux finished first among nine other contenders in the local heats. Other Kiwi chefs competing were Josh Barlow from The Grove, Joshua Ross from Logan Brown, Tom Hishon from Orphans Kitchen and Christopher Walter from Roots.
Flying the flag for New Zealand, Hottiaux now advances to the global finals in Milan in October for a chance to win the title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016. In the final round, a mysterious jury of chefs known as the Seven Sages will determine the ultimate winner, observing five factors - ingredients, skills, genius, beauty and message.