Anchor Food Professionals Proud to be a Chef program has announced 32 finalists from across Australia and New Zealand, offering aspiring chefs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from two of the industry’s brightest stars. 

Mentors partnering with the 2026 finalists are Sarah Todd – renowned chef and television personality, whose rise to fame began on MasterChef Australia and Gareth Whitton – acclaimed pastry chef and founder of Melbourne’s cult favourite Tarts Anon.  

Now in its 26th year, the program continues to connect emerging talent with world-class chefs through an immersive four-day program.  

Fonterra Oceania Foodservice Director Victoria Landells said the mentoring program has a long history of elevating talent by providing a platform for apprentice chefs to learn from the best.  

This year, the program has been extended to include apprentice chefs from New Zealand.  

“We have a wealth of developing talent throughout Australia and New Zealand and believe that providing opportunities at the grass roots level will help elevate the next generation of chefs to be truly world class. 

“It's a privilege to be offering this level of support and mentorship to aspiring talent,” Victoria said.  

Resident mentor and Anchor Food Professionals Executive Chef Mark Normoyle returns to lead the judging panel in 2026, explaining that the standard of entries this year was so high that selecting the 32 finalists from the record-breaking 215 applications was difficult. 

“This year’s entries were bigger than ever. All were of an extremely high calibre, but we had to narrow it down to an outstanding list of 32 aspiring chefs. I cannot wait to see what we can do together with our industry mentors,” he said. 

One standout apprentice who best demonstrates their passion and skills over the four-day period will be awarded a culinary scholarship tailored to their individual aspirations as a professional chef.    

“This program isn’t just about what the participants can do in the kitchen. We are looking for aspiring chefs who soak up knowledge, ask questions, push boundaries, and lift others around them,” Mark said. 

As part of the program, the finalists will travel to Melbourne for a four-day, experiential journey of masterclasses and skills workshops. 

Proud to be a Chef 2026 will run from 1 to 4 February in Melbourne. For the list of finalists and more information, visit www.proudtobeachef.com.