Whitireia and WelTec Wellington Trades Academy students take top spot in culinary challenge

With a clever play on parsnips, Ethan Poytner (Hutt Valley High School) and Brodie Higgans (Mana College) won gold, scoring 99 points out of 100. Olly Malcom (Wellington High School) and Lily Carr (Wainuiomata High School) took silver with 84 points out of 100.

Their winning culinary creations included creamy parsnip and blue cheese mousseline in a walnut crust, and a parsnip gnocchi with sage and bacon beurre noisette. The judges were impressed with the teams’ meticulous preparation and innovative ways to elevate parsnips.

Gold medal winners Ethan and Brodie now sharpen their culinary skills to compete at the national finals in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland at the end of August. For the final they will need to prepare four portions of their winning parsnip entrée and four portions of a main course. Their technical skills in the kitchen will be put to the test as they will only have one and a half hours to present their polished parsnip dishes on the grand stage.

Toby Sanderson, tutor in Cookery and Hospitality at Whitireia and WelTec, loves mentoring WTA ākonga (students). “We guide ākonga through simple tasks and build to more complex techniques, so they grow in confidence and achieve things they don’t often think are possible. Then my approach is to hand over the reins, encouraging them to develop ownership over their learning and to be responsible for all aspects of competition training.”

This approach works, with Whitireia and WelTec WTA ākonga taking gold and silver medal placings at four previous regional competitions, and in 2023 were the overall National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge champions.

“It is always exciting to see ākonga (students) grow in confidence, hone their culinary skills in a commercial kitchen setting, work seamlessly as a team, under pressure and with incredible scrutiny from the judges. They develop a variety of new skills, must work under time pressure, and ultimately gain a better understanding of industry expectations.”

Through the competition, ākonga (students) engage with Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading chefs who give their time to judge and provide demonstrations and master classes, and many students forge lasting friendships with other young trainee chefs from around the motu - relationships which often continue into their professional careers.

Mick Jays, Head of School Creative and Hospitality at Whitireia and WelTec, comments that the Wellington Trades Academy programme really does set ākonga (students) up for future careers. “Many WTA students, like 2023 NSSCC competition winner Eisha Scerri (Paraparaumu College), go on to further study. Eisha is now completing the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4) at Whitireia and WelTec, while working in a restaurant on the Kāpiti Coast. We wish our national competitors Ethan and Brodie, every success at this year’s final!”

Whitireia and WelTec, and the Wellington Trades Academy would like to acknowledge the amazing mahi and opportunities provided by the Culinary Arts Development Trust (CADT) who manage the NSSCC competition, and generous sponsors who provide support, competition prizes, and ingredients for teams to practice with: Bidfood, Blue Seal Turbofan Oven Systems, Southern Hospitality, Vegetables.co.nz, Waitoa Free Range Chicken, House of Knives, Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

Find your trade while you study with WTA

Get a head start on your future whilst still at high school with Wellington Trades Academy (WTA). WTA offer a range of vocational pathways, like cookery, barbering, animal care and construction. You’ll gain NCEA credits whilst learning skills that will assist in preparing you for further study in your chosen area, or entry into employment or apprenticeships.

Find out more about WTA →