Emma Pritchard
Growing up, Lestatt Hammond-Hurst never watched cartoons on TV.
Instead, the channel was always set to whichever cooking show was featured in the program.
An aspiring pastry chef and talented baker, the 18-year-old has always been incredibly passionate about creating yummy morsels in the kitchen, and watching his vast assortment of delicious desserts transform from simple ingredients into perfectly presented mouth-watering delicacies.
Born and raised in the Clarence Valley, Mr Hammond-Hurst has always had ambitions to establish a career in the food industry and currently works five days a week at the Glenreagh Bakery, carefully and confidently preparing vanilla slices, bread rolls, and pies between 1:30-4:30am in preparation for another flurry of hungry customers.
It’s all part of his training.
And he’s been working especially hard during the past six months as he prepares to journey to Victoria this week to represent NSW alongside competitors from across the country in the baking category at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Champioships between August 17-19 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A celebration of excellence which showcases vocational education and training, the winners will have the opportunity to compete in the International Final to be held in France next year, demonstrating their talents in front of a global audience.
After winning a gold medal in recognition of his extraordinary skills at the Regional Championships held on the North Coast in 2022, Mr Hammond-Hurst, who has a Certificate II in Baking and a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery from Coffs Harbour TAFE, said despite feeling nervous, he is determined to cook up plenty of success.
“The love I have for food, the passion I feel whenever I combine ingredients, it’s something I’ve had since I was a child,” he said.
“I’ve always loved being creative in the kitchen and seeing people enjoy the creations I make.
“I love every element of cooking and baking, and I think the secret is to be educated about the ingredients you’re working with.
“In preparation for the competition, I’ve been working hard on my consistency, and making sure everything I take out of the oven looks perfect and has the same texture and colour.
“My friends and family are all stoked for me, and it’s going to be the most amazing experience.”
Owner of Glenreagh Bakery Brooke Stephen said Mr Hammond-Hurst is extremely dedicated to his profession.
“Lestatt has a terrific work ethic,” she said.
“We’re very proud of him, and he’s going to be hard to beat in Melbourne.”