Dunedin chefs ready to do battle in ‘mystery box’ competition

From left: Sam Gasson, Ken O'Connell, Greg Piner and Hannes Bareiter.

At the Whitestone Cheese Fresh Food Show, the temperature in the kitchen is set to rise, as four of Dunedin’s top restaurant chefs go head-to-head in a live cooking challenge.

Otago Polytechnic’s “Farm to Fork Chef Challenge” has all the ingredients for great entertainment.

The chefs, Sam Gasson from Moiety, Greg Piner from Vault 21, Hannes Bareiter from Glenfalloch and Ken O’Connell from Bracken, signed up for the culinary contest in blind faith; they had no idea what would be thrown at them. Now all has been revealed.

They will open a “mystery box” containing a selection of “farmed” proteins, from which they must draw inspiration for their own gourmet recipes for an entrée and a main course. They will also have access to an extensive pantry of ingredients made available to them thanks to Bidfood.

They will be given time to prepare, but then the clock will start ticking.

They will have just one hour to cook two servings each of both courses.

Each chef will be paired with a culinary student from Otago Polytechnic.

They will be removed from the comfort and security of their own restaurant kitchens, with no fancy cooking apparatus to rely on.

Instead, their only cooking appliances will be a gas barbecue each and a shared charcoal barbecue thanks to Hunting & Fishing Dunedin.

In front of a live audience, this will be a true test of the chefs’ resourcefulness and ability to not just perform under pressure but to excel.

And just to stir in more tension, they will be sweating it out under the watchful scrutiny of two formidable judges: Fleur Sullivan from “Fleurs” at Moeraki and Rebecca Fox, Otago Daily Times food feature writer. The MC for the competition will be Hughie Blues from the NZ Chef Association.

The judges will be scoring on three major elements: innovation, presentation and, of course, ultimately, taste. The “Farm to Fork Chef Challenge” will be a great chance to pick up some innovative cooking techniques and exciting recipe ideas, not to mention a thoroughly entertaining event.

Meet the chefs Sam Gasson Sam Gasson trained at Otago Polytechnic spending his early career with Andrew Speigel at Edgewater resort Wanaka. After traveling to Europe to spend time in top kitchens and working as a private chef, he then found his way to Australia spending time with Melbourne's Sand Hill Road group before moving on to executive chef for Marrawah hospitality. Sam is now Chef-Owner of Moiety in Dunedin’s warehouse precinct, delivering an ever changing menu showcasing good stuff.

Ken O’Connell Born in Cork, Ken completed culinary training at Cork Regional Polytechnic, gaining City & Guilds with Irish equivalent. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts with distinction. He was a member of the New Zealand Culinary Squad and was a member of the Irish Culinary Team 2004 to 2007. He holds over 90 awards to date, including 2008/2013 New Zealand Chef of the Year. He is currently the chef/owner of Bracken Restaurant with his wife, Fiona.

Greg Piner Greg Piner has an impressive résumé, working for many leading restaurants around New Zealand. Not only is Greg the group executive chef at Vault 21 and Prohibition Smoke House, he is also an adviser to DB Breweries and is on NZChefs’ new High-Performance Squad. He is also a three-time finalist in the Silver Fern Farms Restaurant Awards and won the Best Venison Dish in 2017.

Hannes Bareiter Executive chef Hannes Bareiter graduated from the School of Hotel Management in Germany in 1999, and went on to earn a hospitality business administrator’s degree and a master‘s degree in culinary arts and kitchen management. Hannes’ first New Zealand experience was at Raetihi Lodge in the Kenepuru Sound, where he was executive chef. In collaboration with Otago Peninsula Trust, Hannes and his partner, Melanie, operate Glenfalloch Restaurant on the Peninsula.