Leonardo Milan has won this year's Brett Graham Scholarship.
The 20-year-old chef started his apprenticeship at Restaurant Mason and now works at hatted Newcastle restaurant Flotilla.
Humbug chef Lachlan Dowsett finished in second place and Lara Hagan, sous chef at Circa 1876, finished third.
The trio competed at a closely contested cook-off at TAFE NSW Hamilton on Tuesday night, each preparing three courses for 60 diners.
They had a brief: the entree had to use smoked eel and Japanese ingredients; the main required two cuts of veal, spring vegetables and variations of garlic; and the dessert had to be inspired by the humble lamington and use fresh strawberry jam.
Milan's entree was soy-glazed eel with pickled cucumber and radish, eel and bonito foam. His second course was veal loin with artichokes, fresh peas, potato, asparagus, crumbled sweetbread and black garlic.
And his dessert? Lamington pannacotta cake with strawberry ripple.
Milan, who enjoys cooking with fresh seasonal produce, mostly in an Italian and Mediterranean style, hopes to further his knowledge and skills by learning techniques from other cultures and cuisines around the world.
The $10,000 in prize money he won on Tuesday night will no doubt come in handy.
As this year's scholarship winner, Milan will fly to London and work alongside former Newcastle chef Brett Graham at The Ledbury, his three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Former scholarship winners include the likes of Troy Rhoades-Brown, Joshua Gregory, Alexander Tapp and Chris Thornton.
The Scarborough Wine Co. Front of House Scholarship recipient was also announced on Tuesday night, with Yasmine Kelly from Yellow Billy Restaurant a worthy winner.
Noah Adamthwaite, from Margan Restaurant, was awarded the HCA Rising Star Front of House Scholarship.
