Make your reservation now – Max is plating up excellence

“I’ve been learning commercial cookery for the past two years, starting with TAFE Queensland as a school-based apprentice and then leaving school in Grade 11,” Max shared.

His journey began just 18 months ago, after spending time during a trip to Japan ‘figuring out’ what he wanted to do. 
 
“I’d always enjoyed cooking as a kid, and I thought, maybe I could actually be the best. So I signed up for a school-based apprenticeship with TAFE Queensland.”

What started as an instinctive decision soon turned into a clear career path.

“Had I stayed in school I would be finishing (the qualification) by age 21, but at this rate I will complete it by 18.”

“I was inspired to be a chef because I’d enjoyed cooking as a kid – I wanted to be the best, was decent at it, and saw the school-based apprenticeship as an opportunity,” Max explained. 

‘Decent’ is a very modest way to describe Max’s cooking these days. His skills have seen him ascend at a rapid pace – from starting his career as a school-based chef a local café to preparing intricate dishes under pressure and training alongside some of the industry’s top chefs.

Max is completing his apprenticeship in a fine dining Japanese restaurant in Toowoomba.

Having just recently represented his trade at the national WorldSkills Australia competition, Max reflected on his journey so far… 

“It's like I've just rocketed – I think a lot of it is thanks to the competition training – and the mentorship I’ve been receiving with my TAFE Queensland educator, Chef Andrew Bowden.” 

“I've been training two to three times a week with Chef – he’s legendary – a very good chef – he helped me choose and create the majority of my dishes for WorldSkills.” 

“We’d been planning and training for the last three months in the lead up to the competition,” shared Max.

Competing against 20 of the nation’s top commercial cookery apprentices, Max took on the challenge at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre — preparing six distinct courses under intense time pressure across three days.

Max prepared a delectable array of dishes including seared scallops with smoked prawn tartare and crustacean mayonnaise, and achieving a Medallion of Excellence, highlighted his strong performance.

Max put his culinary skills to the test during the WorldSkills National Championships.

Max had qualified for the final having won the regional round of the WorldSkills Australia competition over a year ago at TAFE Queensland’s Toowoomba campus, where he prepared a two-course dish with a chicken main and an apple-based dessert. 

His journey through WorldSkills Australia’s series of competitions has been a turning point, helping him recognise just how far he has come in a short time.

“Honestly, the main difficulty in reaching the national stage for WorldSkills was balancing the preparation with work and TAFE Queensland. So, my main focus will now be getting more sleep,” shared Max.

Coming away from the WorldSkills National Championships with the excellence acknowledgement, Max is sticking with his original career plan – to eventually head overseas for work upon becoming a fully qualified chef.

“I think after going overseas with cooking for a while – and learning at every opportunity – I will then open a few restaurants, but I will just figure it out as I go,” Max finished.