It’s a glorious but tough gig working your way up the professional culinary ladder. Working long hours, in sometimes hot and cramped spaces, giving so much of yourself for very little in return. You can understand why many don’t end up choosing to be a chef. However, those that do, that stick at it and find a great employer, an inspiring mentor, a platform that allows them to shine. Those young chefs have a light in their eyes and a fire inside them that demonstrates just how rewarding a career carved in a professional kitchen can be. So it was with great interest that I accepted an invitation from San Pellegrino last year to travel to Sydney and watch the San Pellegrino Young Chef Pacific Region Finals where 10 outstanding young chefs would put their hearts on a plate in front of some of Australia's culinary heavyweights. Listen in to this inspirational competition as it unfolds and meet our three New Zealand finalists, one of whom went on to win the Fine Dining Lovers Food For Thought Award. The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Awards Final is scheduled to take place in May in Milan. At the time of posting this episode we are still awaiting updates on the event date. A huge thank you to the large cast of legendary hospo people in this episode... Danielle Alvarez Jock Zonfrillo  Christine Manfield  Peter Gilmore  Michael Meredith Ryan Henly Marc De Passorio So proud of you Abhijit Dey, Giada Grilli & Andrew Tranter  and congratulations to Jose Lorenzo Morales at Lume in Melbourne who was announced the Young Chef Pacific Region winner.    Kelli Brett Cuisine Magazine