What is the Thierry Marx Award?

The Thierry Marx Career Development Award, offers two Victorian cookery apprentices the chance to spend a month in France working with Thierry Marx – the 2006 Relais Gourmands French Chef of the Year.

The competition is open to apprentices at any stage of their training, although they need to demonstrate a level of competency to be considered for the award. Their employer must be a current member of Restaurant & Catering Victoria.

The winners will travel to France in early August for a month to work at Thierry Marx’s Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux where they are exposed to the wonders of Molecular Gastronomy.

Apprentices receive airfares, accommodation and assistance with incidental expenses while their employers will receive an allowance to offset additional staffing costs while the apprentices are in France.

By Matthew Carnell

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

what it was...

One of the reason's why i compete in competitions and awards such as this is to expand my network of chefs and build relationships with people in our preofession all over the world... this experience helped me do that.

This experience opened my eyes to what it was really like to be a chef in Europe. That working hard is an international language, and that their is more to creating a dish than just taste and appearance.

Thierry Marx is an amazing man, according to the locals he is heading towards Paul Bocuse status in french cuisine. He acknowledges everyone and respects everyone in his kitchen as he well knows that they are all their to work for him. He demands perfection, but you will never hear him raise his voice to achieve it.

The food coming out of this kitchen is mind blowing. Such subtle flavours are conceived with the utmost respect for the ingredient. From the way it is shaped to the concepts of reacting a diner's censors to deliver an experience they will remember forever.

As much as I did love working at the Chateau their are parts of this experience that I didnt like such as living in a country town as i am a self confessed city boy, not really being use to such a repetitive menu that isnt changed for a year, however I understand why it doesnt change. and their isnt any spontaniuity with dishes and ideas in the kitchen, but again i understand why that doesnt happen.

As a part of this award I am really looking forward in working with Scott Pickett and his brigade at the Point for the shared tables luncheon. Understanding the tradition and history of this event gives me a great honour in being associated with. The menu is to be derived from our learning and inspirations of our time at Chateau Cordeillan Bages.

Finally I would like to take the time to thank all involved to make this life changing experience possible, from sponsors, to personel doing the run around and of course not forgetting to thank the Press Club for allowing me to take up such a fantastic initiative. I urge all junior chefs in Victoria to take the time to compete for this award as it is one that I will never forget...

Petros Dellidis
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