History

  Culinary Competitions  

Bocuse d’Or * Copper Skillet * Culinary Olympics * Les Toques Blanches Pioneers * Individual Honours * Memorials * Facilities named after chefs * Salonculinaire.com World Champions in Culinary Knowledge.
Not all awards have been identified- Please advise George Hill for amendments, or additions.


Bocuse d’Or.
The Bocuse d’Or established by Paul Bocuse in 1987 has become the most sought-after professional cookery competition for an outstanding individual young chef from around the world. The competition is held every two years in Lyon, France and national entry into the competition is only by personal invitation of Paul Bocuse. Australian Representatives since 1989:

1989 John Plako /  1991 Tony Sandeburg  / 1993 Mark Shalles  / 1995 Thomas Milligan / 1997 Ross Howell / 1999 Ross Howell / 2001 Joe Vargetto  /  2003 George Calombaris / 2005 Scott Pickett / 2007 Luke Croston / 2009 Luke Crostin  / 2011 Russell Clarke / 2013 / 2015 2017 / 2019 Michael Cole/ 2023 Alex McIntosh


Culinary Olympics
The International Exhibition of Culinary Art (in German: Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung or “IKA”) termed the Culinary Olympics, is a quadrennial chef competition, and the biggest culinary competition and exhibition in the world.Legend: Achieved . G= Gold. S= Silver. B=Bronze
1968 (National) Awards Unknown – Les Smith / Frank De Koning /Claudio Magris /Harry Kahn /Dave Saunders /Cyril Butler 
1980 (National) 5 G – 2 S – 4 B –  Placed second in World – Celso Galeazzi – Manager / Chris Redmond – Captain /  Ernst Stuhler / Gary Cowled / George Hill / Raymond Tormey 
1984 (National) – Michael Strautmanis / Derrick Casey / Hebert Klinkhammer / Ingo Schwatz 
1984 National Junior Placed First – World Champions – Manager John Fahey / Bill Conway / Mauro Molent / Quentin Underhill / Scott Hopgood
1984 (Regional – Vic) –Klaus Lemm (Manager) / Manfred Hennig Captain / Rene Willen / Kurt Frederiksen
1988 (National) – Tom Mc Connell / Keith McNeil /  Rick Stephen / Nicholas Brida / Tony Ryan / Armando Javellana
1988 National Junior Placed First – World Champions – Manager Manfred Hennig/ Captain Nicholas Wyman/ Team Member John Casey/ Joanne Woodward/ Mark Davey
1988 NSW Regional Team – Vince Crawley – Manager/ John Placko – Captain/ Tony Sandeberg/ Karen Lewis/ Graham Manvell
1988 Support Members – Scott Tracey/ Quentin Underhill/ Craig Birchall/ Shelley Placko
1992 (National) 1G – 2 S – 1 B – Michael Strautmanis,/ Rick Stephen,/ Quentin Underhill,/ Graham Manvell,/ Brendan Hill,/ Karen Lewis-Underhill,/ Max Chong/
1992 (Regional Vic) 4 Gold – 5 Bronze – George Skaliotis / Thomas Barr / Matt McBain / Jean Hill (3 Individual Gold)
1992 Australian Defence Force ‘The combined Army Navy and Air force team led by LT. Rick Burridge 9 Gold 11 Silver 5 Bronze – G Baird,/ CR Evans,/ C.A. Whittaker,/ G.J. Altmann/ NC Kirk,/ M.O. Foenander,/ M.V .McAuliffe/ R.J . Atkins,/ G.W. Harnett,/ J. Schinella,/ C.S. Robertson.
1992 GFW Regional Team Vince Crawley  Manager – Tony Sandeberg  Captain/ Colin Goldsmith/ Scott Tracey/ Ingo Schwarze/ Reinhard Roithner
1992 Support Members – David Barnes/ Vanessa Kemp/ Kathryn Wallace/ Amelia Soo/ Dean Sammut
1996 (National) 3 Gold Cold – 1 S – David Purslow,/ Burt Lozie,/ Adrian Tobin,/ Albert Stickney,/ Jodie Gentle,/ Robert DeCamo,/ James Archer
1996 Pastry Team – Albert Stickney/ Sheng Sheng/ Kathryn Yonge
1996 National – Rick Stephen,/ Glenn Austin,/ Gary Farrell,/ Peter Wright,/ Ruth Klass,/ Tim Smith,/ Andrew Mann,/ Neil Abrahams
2000 – No Teams Attended
2008 (National) 2 Gold, 1 S, 1 B – Jenni Key/ Matt McBain/ Andre Kropp/ John Lanzafame/ Shane Keighley/ Rick Stephen ( Manager)/ Shannon Kellam/ Neil Abrahams/ Daniel Hiltbrunner
2008 Junior Team – Western Australia – Royston Clark/ Che Tam Nguyen/ Sam Carstairs/ Sam Monks/ Sian Cole – Management Support Team/ Patrick O Brien / Peter Tischhauser / Martin Carlin / Charge D affaires – Michael Strautmanis, SA
2012 Junior Team – Gold Hot Kitchen – Silver Cold Table – Matthew Wynn QLD,/ Cameron Wetton WA,/ Shane Middleton WA,/ Richard Pascoe QLD,/ Natasha Stubbs WA/ Cherise Minas(now Davids) WA/ Stewart Wesson, SA,/ Charge d Affaires:/ Michael Strautmanis, SA
2016 Junior Team – Christopher Malone/ Mark Johnston/ Cherise Davids/ Jade Hugi-Fergusan/ Julia Buri Neil/ Patrick Sorano/ Jaimi Rogers Management Team/ Patrick O Brien/ Peter Tischhauser/ Matt McBain, VIC/Charge d Affaires – Michael Strautmanis, SA
2020 Junior Team Billy Fox – Nattawat Thingdee – Tori Pickens – Matt Wills – Maverick Cuthbert – Harrison Joyce

World Food Championships
The World Food Championships is a four-day USA culinary competition that showcases some of the world’s professional chefs, who gain admission by winning one of numerous qualifying events throughout the year.
2023 World Champion for Seafood – John McFadden

Les Toques Blanches Awards to acknowledge Australian chefs who are considered as “Pioneers of The Australian Culinary Culture”

1998 Frank de Koning (Vale)- Claudio Magris (Vale) – George Kincses (Vale) – John Miller (Vale)
1999 Peter Gromotka – David Sanders (Vale) – Kurt Leitinger (Vale) – Herman Scheider (Vale)
2000 Erling Bagno (Vale) – Sydney Brooks (Vale)
2001 Werner Bohlmann (Vale)- William Gallea (Vale)- Keith Byron (Vale)
2002 Mario Costa (Vale) – Horst Winkler (Vale)
2003 Otto Kamenzin (Vale)
2004 George Hill – Bernd Uber
2005 Stephanie Alexander
2006 Philippe Mouchel – John Langford
2007 Ernst Stuhler – Manfred Hennig
2008 Tony Rogalsky
2010 Reinhard Sass
2014 Jacques Reymond
2019 Werner Kimmeringer Ernst Schwab
– Massimo Di Luca Year


Individual acknowledgements associated with Australian and professional cookery:

Rick Stephen – World Association Cooks Societies Life Member 1990
Claudio Magris (RIP) – World Association Cooks Societies Life Member 1990
Ael Bailey (RIP) – World Association Cooks Societies Life Member
John Miller – Chevalier de Ordre national du Mérite
George Hill – Churchill Fellowship
1980 Culinary Olympic Team – Australian Foodservice Manufacturers Association
George Hill – Australian Foodservice Manufacturers Association
George Hill – National Association of Foodservice Equipment Suppliers.


Individuals tributes  and memorials to  individuals remembered for their invaluable contribution to the culinary arts.  (Awarded by Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks)

Len Collins Memorial Trophy – Victoria (VALE) – Trophy – Presented Bi Annually at a major Salon Culinaire to the best competitor in the competition
Jean Hill Memorial Trophy (VALE) – Victoria – Trophy – Presented Bi-Annually at a major Salon Culinaire to the best food artist in the competition.


Kitchens, training facilities, and resources named after chefs:

John Miller – William Angliss Institute of Tafe – Victoria Training Demonstration Kitchen
John Miller – Chisholm Institute of Tafe – Victoria Training Kitchens
Claudio Magris(VALE) – Chisholm Institute of Tafe – Victoria Training Kitchens
Alex Chenevier -(VALE) Chisholm Institute of Tafe – Victoria Training Kitchens
Ael Bailey (VALE) – Chisholm Institute of Tafe – Victoria Training Kitchens
George Hill – Chisholm Institute of Tafe – Victoria – Liquor studies bar and training resource
George Hill – Mt Austin High School – Wagga Wagga – NSW Regional Training Kitchen
Paul Moore – Victorian University – Victoria

Copper Skillet Competition.
Each year the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC ) calls upon their global member conference properties to participate in the Annual International “Copper Skillet Competition” to award the prestigious IACC “Chef of the Year”. With over 400 world-wide IACC member properties, the competition brings together the best of chefs from the conference centre sector of hospitality industry across the globe.

2014 Senior Michael Greenlaw – Lindenderry  / 2014 Junior Jess Hughes -Vue Grand / 2013 Jason Palmero- MGSM / 2012 Jess Hughes – Vue Grand / 2011 Phillip Edwards – Lindenderry / 2010 Eresh Tantiriwatta – The Grange at Cleveland Winery / 2009 Dean Duyvestyn -Deakin University / 2008 Nigel Stainwall – Glen Erin Vineyard / 2007 Sunil Pajnoo – M,G,S,M Conference Centre’s / 2006 Brad Lobb – Campaspe House / 2005 Dean Duyvestyn – Deakin University / 2004 Janine Harris- The Country Place


2012 – 2218 Salonculinaire 
Salonculinaire. World Championships in Culinary Arts (Australian Driven Global Internet Culinary Knowledge Competition delivered by salonculinaire.com): World Champions 2007 – 2015 – (Over 8 Years, hundreds of chefs across many countries entered and attempted this internet delivered competition. (This competition was discontinued.)  Revamped and returned as  Australian “Chef of Chefs” 2020.

Salonculinaire – World Champions:

Gary Smith Australia/ John McFadden – Australia/ Marcus Moore – Australia/ Chris Muldoon – Canada/ Phil Sinclaire – Scotland/ Edward Seisun – Australia/ Glenn Humphrey – USA/ Gary Butt – Sweden

Salonculinaire – Grand Masters Chefs:

Anton Gaston USA/ Andrew Wisken Australia/ Anton Gaston USA/ Bernhard Koeniger USA/ Brian Dragos/ Chris Muldoon Canada/ Deb Foreman Australia/Edward Seisun Australia/ England: Mark Heirs Falkirk/ Ethan Hill Australia/ Gary Smith Australia/Gary Thompson Spain/ Glenn Humphrey USA/ Harley Zukerman Australia./ Huw Williams Australia/ India: Dhanapal Chennai India/ John McFadden Australia/ Marcus Moore Australia/ Mark Weatherley Australia/ Martin Harrap Auckland New Zealand/ Nick Blackmore Australia/ Nigel Stainwall Australia/ Peter Williams Australia/ Phil Sinclair Scotland/ Robert Ford Australia/ Russell Hands Scotland/ Stephanie Sherman.