A young Sunshine Coast chef has showcased his talent on the national stage, competing at the 2025 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award grand final.
Baxter Sanderson’s efforts were rewarded when he took home the Buondi Crafting Moments Award at Fine Food Australia in Sydney recently, putting his skills to the test against 11 other finalists from across Australia and New Zealand.
Competing in the finals for the first time, the 21-year-old chef, who is currently at Yandina’s Spirit House Restaurant, impressed the judges with his potato dumplings with a mushroom puree and beurre blanc sauce.
“The main motivation behind my dish was to try and do something none of the other competitors had done,” he says.
“I wanted to think outside the box, create something a bit fun, fine dining and really experiment with different shapes and colours to make it stand out.
“I want to keep learning, pushing myself and experimenting with techniques and presentation.
“My goal is to continue growing as a chef and to bring creativity, sustainability and fun into everything I do in the kitchen.”
