Yesterday he was working on a hazelnut chocolate millefuille with raspberry cream and macerated raspberries, now on the menu at Restaurant 579 on Olive.

Mr Hunter and a fellow apprentice chef, Jacqueline Krauss, of the Commercial Club, are among 32 contestants selected from more than 150 applicants in the country to compete in Melbourne next month.

Mr Hunter said he hoped it would be an opportunity for him to gain and learn new skills.

“I’ll give it a red hot crack but who knows what the other guys will be doing?” he said

“I am pretty pumped to get into it and be mentored by some of the best chefs.”

The winner is awarded a $7500 international culinary scholarship.

Mr Hunter said if he won he would choose to head to Europe and hopefully cook a recipe using the same techniques as Heston Blumenthal.

All competitors will have their recipes published in the Fonterra Proud To Be A Chef cookbook.

“Hopefully this is just one of many but who knows?” Mr Hunter said.

Ms Krauss, who previously competed in the AUS-TAFE Culinary Trophy competition last year, will create a deconstructed chocolate cheesecake with berry sauce.

“I think this is a fantastic opportunity for young, aspiring chefs and it gives us a chance to go to the food capital of Australia,” she said.

She was unsure of where she would travel if she won the scholarship, but both Paris and Greece appealed to her.