By Leigh O’Connor.
At just 19 years old, Emily Morgan has gone from culinary student to international sensation, taking home the prestigious title of 2025 Nestlé Golden Chef of the Year.
The newly qualified Auckland Chef didn’t just win the top honour at Australia’s longest-running culinary competition; she swept up two additional awards and a prize pool worth $15,700, cementing her place as one of the brightest young talents in the Trans-Tasman food scene.
Only a month ago, Emily was graduating from Auckland University of Technology. Today, she stands as a Chef whose creativity and technical mastery have been recognised at the highest level.
Her journey began with a victory at the North Island heat earlier this year, before she advanced to the grand showdown in Sydney. There, under the heat of stage lights and the gaze of live spectators, she faced off against 11 of the finest emerging Chefs from Australia and New Zealand. Over two intense days of cooking, she held her nerve, plated her vision and walked away with the crown.
Her triumph carried not only the top award - a $12,000 culinary travel experience - but also prizes for the Most Creative Use of a Nestlé Product, courtesy of SOLIDTEKNICS, and the Nestlé DOCELLO Best Dessert Dish.
Together, the accolades represent far more than their combined dollar value. For Emily, they are the foundation of a career just beginning to blossom.
"Competing in the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is about expressing who I am as a Chef and what I can contribute to the hospitality world moving forward,” she reflected. "This is certainly a milestone moment and I hope there will be many more to come as I look ahead to new opportunities and travel through food.”
The dishes that carried her to glory were as much about storytelling as they were about skill. She opened with BUONDI coffee-smoked baby beets paired with whipped ricotta, fennel, basil wafer and pistachio - a striking balance of earthiness and elegance.
Her main course took a bold turn with horopito-spiced lamb rump, layered with Japanese squash, shallot crème, asparagus, sugar snap peas, savoury fig compote and a surprising flourish of lamb floss.
For dessert, Emily turned to her travels in Thailand, presenting a white chocolate mousse with mango jelly, passionfruit curd, puffed rice coated in MAGGI Coconut Milk powder and lemongrass meringue. Each dish shimmered with personality and precision.
Nestlé Executive Chef Elke Travers, one of the judges, summed up her performance: "Chef Emily’s dishes demonstrated passion, remarkable creativity and technical precision. Each course told a story, perfectly executed under the pressure of a live audience.”
Her win arrives at a historic moment for the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Since 1965, the program has helped launch more than 8000 culinary careers.
In 2025 alone, a record-breaking 357 entries flooded in, proof of the vibrancy and ambition of the region’s next generation of Chefs.
"These young competitors are our future Head Chefs, restaurateurs and culinary innovators,” says Nestlé Professional General Manager Kristina Czepl. "Emily’s win is a testament to her creativity, her community and the thriving foodservice industry.”
The competition also spotlighted other rising stars, including Newcastle’s Ashleigh Handsaker for Best Signature Dish, Whitton’s Brooke Moore for Most Sustainable Practice, Tasmania’s Nicholas Rudeforth for Best Savoury Dish and Queensland’s Baxter Sanderson for his innovative entrée presentation. Together, they showcased a food culture defined by sustainability, inclusivity, and fearless innovation.
For Emily Morgan, though, this moment is just the beginning. From classroom kitchens to international acclaim, she has already carved a path that promises adventure, discovery and influence far beyond her years. The world is waiting - and Emily is ready to serve it.
