By JESSE GRAHAM
AN APPRENTICE at TarraWarra Estate in Yarra Glen has scooped two wins in the last month, being named the best second-year apprentice for Victoria and Australia.
Apprentice chef, 25-year-old Natacha De Barba was named the Aus-TAFE Best Apprentice in Victoria after a two-course cooking competition in the Victorian leg of the 2013 Aus-TAFE Culinary Trophy.
She was awarded the accolade after cooking her meal, which included rainbow trout cooked three ways and a personal take on Chicken Ballantine.
Natacha then set her sights on the national prize, travelling up to Canberra for a competition on 10 October for the Apprentice of the Year award, handed out by the Australian Culinary Federation (ACF).
Natacha represented Victoria in the ACF’s competition for apprentice chefs and took the win after a high-pressure cook off to make a two course meal.
In the national competition, Natacha made an entrée with three types of rainbow trout – trout escabeche, trout roasted in vine leaves with feta and preserved lemon and hot smoked trout with piquillo peppers.
Her main course featured lamb fillet, roasted in prosciutto with a hazelnut and potato galette and a pea puree.
Natacha, who only began working in commercial cookery two years ago, received $2000 in culinary prizes and a highly sought-after title.
She said the wins were amazing, and that she was nervous but excited in the lead-up to the national competition.
Natacha thanked TarraWarra’s Executive Chef Robin Sutcliffe for his help in mentoring her and training her for the competitions.
“A lot of the things I’ve learned, and winning the competition, are all thanks to Robin,” she said.
