Launceston chef Nicholas Hooper will be putting his best plate forward on Monday in the ultimate test of creativity and culinary knowledge.
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The owner of Novaro’s Restaurant, Hooper is one of 32 finalists and the only Tasmanian chef contending this year’s Chef of the Year competition.
Held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, the annual event sees professional chefs from all over Australia compete against each other and the clock.
This will be the first time Hooper has taken part in the competition, which this year attracted 170 entrants.
He joked that hopefully any fame he received wouldn’t be because he accidentally “blows up the kitchen”.
“The challenge is the time frame – it will definitely be hectic,” he said.
“The key is to keep it simple. I suppose I am a competitive person, but I don’t think you can’t enter a competition like this if you have a fear of losing. A lot of it is luck of the draw.”
Starting with heats, Hooper will have just one hour to prepare his best dish from ingredients presented to him in a mystery box.
If successful he will then progress to the finals, which will be held on Tuesday.
Hooper said he would be relying largely on his experience to get him through.
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Originally from Devonport, the chef spent the better part of a decade travelling the world honing his culinary skills before returning to Tasmania and purchasing Novaro’s.
Specialising in modern Italian cuisine, the restaurant has been a Launceston staple for more than 27 years – established by Albert Taurian in 1993.
Hooper has since made it his own and said despite his worldly influences, considers himself lucky to be a chef in Tasmania.
“I think growing up in a place like Tasmania, people often don’t realise how great it actually is,” he said.
“I had to get away for a bit and then come back to really appreciate that.
“For many places in the world, chefs have to work so hard on their ingredients to make a meal special, but we are spoilt for quality in Tasmania.
“The thing with food is it is just endless and you learn something new everyday.
“I don’t know what will come of Monday, but hopefully something will come out of the box and that bolt of inspiration will hit me.”