Young Chef of the Year Award 2022
A huge congratulations to our Executive Chef, Tristan Rebbettes, for making it into the top 5 finalists of Good Food’s prestigious ‘Young Chef of the Year 2022’ award!!
We’re extremely proud that Tristan, Mona Farm and regional NSW in general were placed alongside some of the cities finest establishments (Firedoor, Fred’s, Cirrus Dining, Arthur and Cafe Paci).
Words: Myffy Rigby, Editor of the Good Food Guide
While the Good Food Guide Awards are on pause this year (thanks a bunch, COVID), the mighty surge of young cooking talent is unstoppable. Allow us to present, with great pleasure, this year's crop of bright chef sparks to watch in NSW.
Choosing just six chefs out of the 40 applicants, each aged under 30, who entered our Young Chef of the Year competition has been no easy task. Despite an all-time low when it comes to finding hospitality staff, pre-existing cheffing talent is at an all-time high.
Beating out the 34 other applicants are, in alphabetical order, Arnold Wong (Cafe Paci), Eytan Harel (Fred's), Hannah Cox (Cirrus Dining), Jason White (Firedoor), Tristan Rebbettes (Mona Farm) and Victoria Rose (Arthur Restaurant).
The six award finalists converged on Margaret restaurant in Double Bay last week to meet the panel of judges who decided this year's NSW winner. The judging panel was made up of the award's long-standing supporter and judge, Neil Perry (Margaret), and ex-winners Dan Hong (Ms G's, Mr Wong, MuMu), Lauren Eldridge (Berowra Waters Inn) and Dan Puskas (Sixpenny). They were joined by Good Food Guide editor Myffy Rigby.
Read the full article, here.
about Tristan
Growing up, Tristan Rebbettes spent most of his time in Dartmouth, England, a charming coastal town situated off the River Dart in Devon. Known for its seafood culture and idyllic water views, Tristan drifted towards watching the fishmonger’s hard at work. According to Tristan, it was the town of Dartmouth that inspired him to get his first job as a fishmonger back in his hometown of Sarisbury Green.
Throughout his teenage years working as a fishmonger at Bradley’s, Tristan became an expert in handling, boning and filleting fish. It was also during this time that Tristan was introduced to a nose to tail approach to produce - one that aimed to reduce waste and hero as much of the fish as possible. To this day, Tristan is dedicated to implementing sustainable practices wherever possible.
In 2013, Tristan journeyed to Sydney, Australia where he intended to spend a year exploring the city. It was only three weeks before he was picked up by renowned restaurant, Rockpool 1989, where he worked as a Chef de Partie under Head Chef, Phil Wood and high-profile restaurateur, Neil Perry. Very quickly, what was intended to be a short trip abroad turned into the beginning of Tristan’s successful career in Australia. In the years that followed, he worked at a number of award-winning restaurants; 3 hatted restaurant Sepia, 2 hatted restaurant Cafe Paci, 2 hatted restaurant EST and 2 hatted restaurant Saint Peter.
Tristan recalls his time at Saint Peter working under the guidance of acclaimed Chef, Josh Niland, as a particularly instrumental time in his career. As Sous Chef, Tristan experienced the frantic rush of opening a new restaurant with a new team and the exhilarating rush of being part of a team that placed #1 in Delicious Magazine’s coveted top 100 list in 2018. At Saint Peter, whose mission it is to showcase Australian sustainably sourced seafood, Tristan’s food philosophy was celebrated. As a result, he flourished during his time here.
In 2019, Tristan was scouted to work for one of Sydney’s well known seafood restaurants, Flying Fish Pyrmont. As Peter Robertson’s right-hand man, Tristan was in charge of managing a team of 15 chefs and attributes this role to solidifying his position as an avid multitasker and creative problem solver.
With more than 11 years’ experience at age 27, Tristan Rebbettes is a name to keep an eye on. Tristan’s contemporary approach to the role of Head Chef and his sophisticated yet simple style of cooking is what led him to trade the city for the country, joining the Mona Farm team as Executive Chef in 2021.
According to Tristan, the three-hour relocation from Sydney to Mona Farm, located in the heritage- listed town of Braidwood has evoked a deep sense of nostalgia. Today, Tristan finds himself walking through the estate’s historic houses, English-inspired gardens and travelling to and from nearby Batemans Bay. In many ways, Tristan says he is returning to the uncomplicated approach to food he grew up with - using local produce and seasonal ingredients to deliver an exceptional and authentic dining experience.