Two Adelaide students to compete on national stage next month

Two of Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide’s rising stars, Wenqi Zhang and Matilda Birkholz, are set to represent South Australia on the national stage at Fine Food Australia in Sydney from 8–11 September.

This marks the first time Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide has entered students into state competitions. Both Wenqi and Matilda have triumphed with Gold medals across two separate competitions, earning their place at the Nationals.

Wenqi, originally from Mainland China and currently completing her Certificate III in Cuisine, was awarded the only Gold medal of the evening across all divisions at last month’s Australian Culinary Federation competition. The announcement was made at a Gala Dinner at Adelaide Oval, attended by chefs Simon Taylor and Robyn Watkins.

Reflecting on the win, Wenqi admitted the competition was both high-pressure and rewarding:

“There was so much pressure – after I cooked, I thought I was out. I could see from the judges’ faces they were very focused, and I wasn’t sure. When they announced I had won Gold, I was so surprised and so proud.”

For the competition, Wenqi prepared an entrée of pâté with chutney and pickled shallots, followed by a pastry-wrapped chicken breast with chicken liver, tenderloin, spinach, broccolini, gnocchi and sauce ravigote.

“I had to practice every day in the lead-up, trialling new techniques until I could make it work under time pressure,” she explained.

Now, while balancing her industry placement at Adelaide rooftop bar 2KW, Wenqi is refining her dishes ahead of the Nationals.

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There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but I feel proud to represent Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide and show what I can do.

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“I’ll present the same dishes, but with improvements. I’m working on making the pastry more stable and adjusting the flavours in the pâté. There are always things to refine,” she said.

Wenqi says studying at Le Cordon Bleu has been the foundation for her success.

“Before coming here I worked as a baker in China, but I wanted to learn more about international cuisine and different cultures. Le Cordon Bleu gives me that opportunity and living in Adelaide has been amazing – the food, the weather and the people are so nice.”

Matilda, who won Gold at the Golden Chef’s Hat Regional Cook-Off, will join Wenqi in Sydney. Both students will be flown and accommodated for the national competition, where they will go up against the best student chefs from across Australia.

With eight competitors set to face off at the Nationals, Wenqi is embracing the challenge.

“It’s my first time competing at a national level, and I’m so excited. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but I feel proud to represent Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide and show what I can do.”

Congratulations to Wenqi and Matilda – we can’t wait to see them shine in Sydney next month!