Junior Sous Chef Hannah Holleran cooks at MFWF’s 30 Under 30 Gala
While the official run of events for Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) has wound up for the year, its 30th birthday celebrations continued with a very special 30 Under 30 Gala Dinner and event series - shining a light on some of Victoria’s best young chefs.
The 30 Under 30 Gala Dinner on 28th July brought together 30 of the most promising young chefs to celebrate Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s 30th anniversary, with a showcase of up-and-coming culinary talent from around the state. Our very own junior sous chef, Hannah Holleran, was named one of the bright talents to watch.
For one night only, the Plaza Ballroom played host to a spectacular feast, with chefs from Attica, Vue de Monde, Gimlet, Matilda 159, Stokehouse, Amaru, Provenance, Society, Aru and Igni, as more than two dozen of Victoria’s very best restaurants joined together to present 30 dishes of their own creation.
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating our 30th anniversary by shining a light on 30 of Victoria’s most promising young chefs. We have the most dynamic young talent in the world, and we can’t wait to put them front and centre at 30 Under 30,” Food and Drink Victoria CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha said.
“Melbourne is the capital of creativity and innovation in Australia, and our restaurants, bars, cafés, bakeries and patisseries are an inspiration for travellers and locals, professionals and diners alike.”
Hannah also starred at the sell-out 30 Under 30 dinner event at Cutler & Co. with four other chefs, creating a five course dinner that was a testament to the incredible talent in the room.
Hannah said of the experience: “Huge thanks to Pat Nourse and the whole team at Melbourne Food & Wine for organising such an incredible event for their 30th birthday celebrations. Being selected to be a part of such a talented and passionate team of chefs was an honour and something I'll truly never forget. The 30 under 30 Gala was a spectacular night for us all, the energy in the room was like no other.
It was an absolute pleasure to cook with head chef Tana Rattananikom and my fellow colleagues at the Cutler & Co. event as well. They truly are at the top of their game when it comes to food and beverage, and to be able to cook a dish of mine with Gimlet sensibilities was a lot of fun. These events really showcased what amazing talent we have here in Melbourne and I'm excited to see what we all achieve in the future.”
Hannah Holleran started working as a chef in her local restaurant in Somerset, England at the age of 14, and never looked back. After moving to London to expand her knowledge and improve her cooking, she quickly realised how exciting and diverse the hospitality industry really was.
She spent two years learning classical French food at Roux at Parliament Square in Westminster before travelling to Southeast Asia and eventually settling in Melbourne.
Hi, my name is Hannah Holleran
Right now I'm working at Gimlet at Cavendish House as a junior sous chef.
Before I started here, I worked at Matilda 159 in South Yarra, where I spent a year working under restaurant owner Scott Pickett and head chef Tim Young. Matilda really showcases the best of native Australian produce; it was a pleasure to be a part of that team.
All up I've been cooking for 12 years, three of which have been in Victoria.
I'm passionate about ultimately making food the best and most delicious it can be. I love teaching and supporting new and up-and-coming chefs, especially in my current role.
Since living in Australia, wine has become a huge part of my life. Tasting the amazing quality and variety of wine that Australia and the rest of the world has to offer and working alongside such talented sommeliers gave me the motivation to start studying wine properly. I completed my first WSET course last year and look forward to carrying on studying in the future.
For me, one of the best things about being a chef is being able to cook a variety of things on a daily basis. I've never been one to have favourite cuisines or dishes; I love experiencing and learning new things to try out in the kitchen.
At 30 under 30 I'll be cooking potato langos and smoked eel with devilled quail's egg.
The person I'm most looking forward to working with for 30 Under 30 is Rosheen Kaul. She's an extremely talented chef and a wonderful person. The way she introduces her heritage into her food at Etta while keeping it modern is a testament to her as a chef. I look forward to working with her in a professional environment as we have never done so before.
My favourite thing to eat in Melbourne right now is the albacore tuna and kalamata olive toast at Embla. Sitting at the kitchen bar in the cosy, dimly lit dining room with a glass of natural wine and a few of these toasts, for me, is a perfect place to be.
Finally, the key change I'd like to see in our food and drink scene over the next 30 years is the attitude towards new and training chefs. Nurturing and taking time to support early-career chefs results in faster learning, better productivity and a happier workplace in general. Chefs should feel supported and confident to come to work every day, rather than being downtrodden and undervalued. I hope this changes globally in the future.
Follow Hannah’s adventures at @hanholleran