Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Matthew Carnell
My last full week at Cordeillan-Bages was great with every day in the kitchen i am finding it easier to find my way
round and get more jobs done... The biggest highlight was my parents visiting me it was really good
to see someone familiar. Tim and I got the opportunity to sit down and eat dinner with my parents,
which was great that the chef would let us do that.
We had full 14 course degustation which was completely mind blowing. Some of the memorable
courses were, The Iceberg Tomato. A beautiful light clear tomato soup with a tomato and inside a
tomato sorbet in the middle with a basil and mint leaf.
For Fish course i had Lobster with aromatics the lobster came to the table blown up inside a cling
wrap balloon served with citrus confit veg and a nice white bean puree.
Meat Course i had pigeon with a really intense red pepper puree a celeriac cylinder and a confit
slice of beetroot.
Dessert i had the famous Deconstructed lemon tart it was beautiful Looked nothing like a lemon
tart but every element was there in different forms.
This is my last weekend off in france and have decided to travel 3 hours down to San Sebastian on
the coast of spain cannot wait for tonight going for a Tapas Crawl cannot wait to try spanish cuisine
I do not want to leave France and hope this will be the last time i am visiting this lovely country to work
and learn more about the country.................
Monday, August 17, 2009
Half way through
This second week has been just as good as the last week.
I finally got to do a service on the meat station this week with the Chef de parti Manu and the Sous Chef Younis it was the biggest rush and the heat from the induction tops was ridiculous. I got through the service all in one peice apart from a few small burns.
Some Other highlights of this week I brought my favorite spread Vegemite to work for everyone to try saying that everyone in Australia eats this every day they could not believe it they all hated it not one of the 15 chefs liked it it was a great laugh.
Last week i went to the beach for dinner and went to a french bar with 3 chefs and 4 waitresses it was good to get out and have a laugh and get to know every one out side of work..
The only downside was yesterday on a bike ride down to the shops i poped my tired and it was hot, and had to walk home..
The weather here has been great last week was in the high 30's all week.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
My First Week
Bonjour,
The plane flight was a long and frustrating flight. I was so nervous of the month ahead and what could happen that the flight felt like 40 hours instead of 20. We arrived at that airport where we had a lot of fun trying to find our connecting train which was in a different terminal. Once we found it we had a 4 hour train ride which was quite enjoyable. We arrived at Bordeaux train station where we waited and waited for our driver who ended up not showing so we caught a taxi to the Cordeillan-bages. We pulled into this lovely well manicured 18th century chateau on a lovely day one we arrived we where taken into the dining room where we were treated to a lovely lunch put on by Thierry and his brigade of chefs. Once we had lunch we meet thierry and were shown through the kitchen were we would be working for the next month
At 6.30 that night we got to have staff dinner with the brigade of chef which was one of my favorite memories so far it was a great experence eating with the chefs and just listening to what they had to say and how good there english was!!!! (makes me feel bad about how bad my french is.) We then had the next 2 days of to get settled in before starting our first week.
The Wensday morning was very nerve racking we started work at 8 in the morning where our first job was putting away all the produce that had come in everything was so neatly packed and nothing squashing anything and very well organized. After that my next job was making and passing 3 kg of chicken mousse. by the time that was finished we stopped to have an early lunch before there lunch service...
The Lunch service was a massive eye opener as i watched everything has its right place all the chefs were quite and could only hear the voice of the head chef Jean-Luc calling orders and requesting food from different sections. Of course i was thrown strait into it i was on a escargot Amuse-bouche and running plates and bowls to the chefs... Once service was finished it was clean down time.. There clean down is ridiculous it was like a water park everything is cleaned and i mean everything. after an hour and a half we got to go home for a break from 3.30 till 5.30. Once we got back we did an hour and a half of prepping for dinner then it was time for staff dinner. When i got back i had to smash quail breasts for his conical( i think thats how you spell it) of quail and roll it around in a cone shape over a middle eastern spiced farce. Once dinner service was over it was then time for another big clean down. By the time that was done it was 12 and i was ready for bed.
Some other hi-lights was on friday myself and tim were very lucky to go to thierry marx's laboratory which was ridiculous they had a full photography set up for his new book and a chemist working for him full time experimenting with new flavors and techniques. For an example they took a strawberry and extracted the essence of of it and it formed a clear liquid that tasted like strawberries. Or they had created a sponge like mousse in a ball shape that was only made of liquid no egg whites no cream nothing and you were able to pick it up roll it and when you broke it open it would ooze out a sauce.
Yesterday we got to go to the beach with a few of the guys it was great time we got to get to know them and enjoy some time off
I start work tomorrow for my second week and i cannot wait.......
Monday, May 4, 2009
Winners Announced for the 2009 Thierry Marx Award
Two young Victorian apprentice chefs; Matthew Carnell – Mercers Restaurant (Eltham) and Tim Squires – Gingerboy (Melbourne) have been announced as the winners of the highly sought after 2009 Thierry Marx Career Development Award at a luncheon at Nobu at Crown Melbourne on April 30th 2009. Matthew and Tim will be sharing the experience with Natalie Watkins of Waddingtons at Kergunyah who was one of the 2008 winners but unable to take the trip to France last year due to personal circumstances.
Natalie, Matthew and Tim have all worked hard throughout the competition to realize their dream of winning a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to France in early August for a months work experience at Thierry Marx’s 18th Century Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.
Apprentices were required to complete their entry form along with a submission of two original recipes which they were required to cook for tasting and assessment during a workplace visit by the judges.
The competition, now in its third year, was heavily supported with entrants from a number of venues throughout regional Victoria and Melbourne. Six finalists were chosen - two from regional Victoria and four from Melbourne - with judges visiting all venues to assess the candidates on not only their technical culinary skills, but their interpersonal skills including attitude, passion, goals and aspirations.
“Once again Restaurant & Catering Victoria is very pleased to be presenting this award in conjunction with our major sponsors to two very inspiring young chefs. They were not only chosen for their cooking abilities but their passion and dedication to their craft and their industry. We believe that they will in future become champions of their trade as they both see the hospitality industry as a career not just a job – this is what the award is designed to encapsulate and we believe Matthew, Tim and Natalie are worthy winners” according to Todd Blake, CEO Restaurant & Catering Victoria.
Matthew Carnell (aged 19) from Mercers studied cooking at Eltham College in years 9 – 12 (2004 – 7) and this experience ignited his passion for cooking. Upon completing school Matthew chose the hospitality industry as his career and commenced work at Mercer’s Restaurant in Eltham in 2004 as an apprentice chef. Since that time, his passion has continued and he is currently completing his final year at The Sofitel Academy. In February 2008, Matthew enrolled in French language lessons hoping to realize his dream of one day working in France. According to Matthew, “This award will provide me with a unique cultural experience and a great privilege to work in a 18th century Chateau in France and a great opportunity to further develop my career”.
Tim Squires (aged 25) is a second year apprentice working at Melbourne’s highly awarded Gingerboy. He displays a natural flair with the wok and has demonstrated an understanding of the sweet, sour, salty and hot seasonings that define Gingerboys culinary style. According to Tim “I love cooking and the buzz of the kitchen. Sometimes the hours hurt and the fryer burns, but I love the challenge of representing Gingerboy, day in, day out”.
Natalie Watkins (aged 22) from Waddingtons at Kergunyah in Northern Victoria is a third year
apprentice. According to Natalie “Working in regional Victoria is fantastic as I have opportunity to work directly with the freshest ingredients - we try and grow as much of our own produce or buy from trusted local suppliers. Cooking is my passion - the more knowledge I gain, the more humble I feel as one understands how immense the world of cookery is“.
The Thierry Marx Career Development Award partners include: Meat & Livestock Australia, Restaurant & Catering Victoria, Crown Melbourne and William Angliss Institute. Apprentices will 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.
Natalie, Matthew and Tim have all worked hard throughout the competition to realize their dream of winning a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to France in early August for a months work experience at Thierry Marx’s 18th Century Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.
Apprentices were required to complete their entry form along with a submission of two original recipes which they were required to cook for tasting and assessment during a workplace visit by the judges.
The competition, now in its third year, was heavily supported with entrants from a number of venues throughout regional Victoria and Melbourne. Six finalists were chosen - two from regional Victoria and four from Melbourne - with judges visiting all venues to assess the candidates on not only their technical culinary skills, but their interpersonal skills including attitude, passion, goals and aspirations.
“Once again Restaurant & Catering Victoria is very pleased to be presenting this award in conjunction with our major sponsors to two very inspiring young chefs. They were not only chosen for their cooking abilities but their passion and dedication to their craft and their industry. We believe that they will in future become champions of their trade as they both see the hospitality industry as a career not just a job – this is what the award is designed to encapsulate and we believe Matthew, Tim and Natalie are worthy winners” according to Todd Blake, CEO Restaurant & Catering Victoria.
Matthew Carnell (aged 19) from Mercers studied cooking at Eltham College in years 9 – 12 (2004 – 7) and this experience ignited his passion for cooking. Upon completing school Matthew chose the hospitality industry as his career and commenced work at Mercer’s Restaurant in Eltham in 2004 as an apprentice chef. Since that time, his passion has continued and he is currently completing his final year at The Sofitel Academy. In February 2008, Matthew enrolled in French language lessons hoping to realize his dream of one day working in France. According to Matthew, “This award will provide me with a unique cultural experience and a great privilege to work in a 18th century Chateau in France and a great opportunity to further develop my career”.
Tim Squires (aged 25) is a second year apprentice working at Melbourne’s highly awarded Gingerboy. He displays a natural flair with the wok and has demonstrated an understanding of the sweet, sour, salty and hot seasonings that define Gingerboys culinary style. According to Tim “I love cooking and the buzz of the kitchen. Sometimes the hours hurt and the fryer burns, but I love the challenge of representing Gingerboy, day in, day out”.
Natalie Watkins (aged 22) from Waddingtons at Kergunyah in Northern Victoria is a third year
apprentice. According to Natalie “Working in regional Victoria is fantastic as I have opportunity to work directly with the freshest ingredients - we try and grow as much of our own produce or buy from trusted local suppliers. Cooking is my passion - the more knowledge I gain, the more humble I feel as one understands how immense the world of cookery is“.
The Thierry Marx Career Development Award partners include: Meat & Livestock Australia, Restaurant & Catering Victoria, Crown Melbourne and William Angliss Institute. Apprentices will 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.
Friday, March 27, 2009
2009 Award Finalists Announced
Six talented young Victorian cookery apprentices have been named the 2009 finalists in the sought-after Thierry Marx Career Development Award, with the eventual winners to spend a month in France working with Thierry Marx.
Entries were received from all parts of Victoria, as well as Melbourne. The competition, now in its third year, gives the two winning apprentices a dream experience of a month’s work with the 2006 Relais Gourmands French Chef of the Year.
2009 Thierry Marx Career Development Award finalists are:
As part of the judging process, finalists will receive a workplace visit from the judging panel - who will interview them, and observe their performance under normal working conditions. Finalists will be assessed and scored on areas including motivation, attitude, presentation and teamwork, along with their culinary skills.
The judging panel will be made up of sponsors’ representatives. The sponsors for the 2009 award are; Meat & Livestock Australia, Restaurant & Catering Victoria, Crown Melbourne and William Angliss Institute.
Todd Blake, CEO Restaurant & Catering Victoria says “This year’s Award has attracted nominations from across Victoria, including regional locations such as Myrtleford and Heathcote. The nominations were of a high calibre which made the judging process very difficult. Each of the finalists is a very worthy recipient and determining just one winner will be a very difficult task”.
A cocktail function to the Announce the finalist’s for the 2009 Thierry Marx Award will take place during the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival on Thursday 19th of March.
The two winners will be named in the last week of April at a luncheon at the Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel at Crown Melbourne. The winner’s will travel to France for the month of August to work at Thierry Marx’s Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.
Apprentices will 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.
The six finalists will also be given the opportunity to work with Thierry Marx during his visit to Melbourne as part of the 2009 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Each finalist will spend a half day working with the renowned chef at Crown Melbourne on Saturday 21st of March.
Entries were received from all parts of Victoria, as well as Melbourne. The competition, now in its third year, gives the two winning apprentices a dream experience of a month’s work with the 2006 Relais Gourmands French Chef of the Year.
2009 Thierry Marx Career Development Award finalists are:
- Matthew Carnell – Mercers Restaurant (Eltham)
- George Bloomfield – Gingerboy (Melbourne)
- Robert Tucker – Emeu Inn Restaurant (Heathcote)
- Tim Squires – Gingerboy (Melbourne)
- Nick Blundell – Wild Oak Restaurant (Olinda)
- Timothy Witherow – The Butter Factory (Myrtleford)
As part of the judging process, finalists will receive a workplace visit from the judging panel - who will interview them, and observe their performance under normal working conditions. Finalists will be assessed and scored on areas including motivation, attitude, presentation and teamwork, along with their culinary skills.
The judging panel will be made up of sponsors’ representatives. The sponsors for the 2009 award are; Meat & Livestock Australia, Restaurant & Catering Victoria, Crown Melbourne and William Angliss Institute.
Todd Blake, CEO Restaurant & Catering Victoria says “This year’s Award has attracted nominations from across Victoria, including regional locations such as Myrtleford and Heathcote. The nominations were of a high calibre which made the judging process very difficult. Each of the finalists is a very worthy recipient and determining just one winner will be a very difficult task”.
A cocktail function to the Announce the finalist’s for the 2009 Thierry Marx Award will take place during the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival on Thursday 19th of March.
The two winners will be named in the last week of April at a luncheon at the Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel at Crown Melbourne. The winner’s will travel to France for the month of August to work at Thierry Marx’s Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.
Apprentices will 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.
The six finalists will also be given the opportunity to work with Thierry Marx during his visit to Melbourne as part of the 2009 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Each finalist will spend a half day working with the renowned chef at Crown Melbourne on Saturday 21st of March.
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