TasTAFE teachers competing for Olympic gold

Next month, TasTAFE Cookery Teachers Stephen Lunn and Michael Norton will represent Australia at the 2024 Culinary Olympics in Germany.

As part of the 9-person team, Stephen and Michael will compete for gold against some of the most talented culinary artists from 23 different countries.

Stephen has been a part of the Australian team for two years and was named vice-captain of the team for the Olympics. He says competing in the Olympics is one of the highlights of his career.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for 25 years. To be able to wear the Australian Coat of Arms and flag is pretty special. It’s something you have to earn.  It’s very achievable, you’ve just got to be dedicated.”

“I’m debuting at the Olympics at the age of 53.  My first competition was in 1985 when I was 15 years old and six months into my apprenticeship, so this is my bookend.”

Michael has been competing in various culinary competitions nationally and internationally for 14 years, but says the Culinary Olympics will be his biggest and most exciting challenge yet.

“When you compete nationally it’s a step up from regionally. When you compete internationally it’s a step up from nationals. I would say Olympics is even a step up from other international competitions.”

In addition to making the best dish, teams at the Olympics are judged upon many other aspects of their performance such as cleanliness, hygiene, sustainability, and team spirit.

“Your bench has to have basically nothing on it, but you still need to produce really good food at the end of it. The little things are very important. For instance, your pants need to be worn at a certain height or you lose a point, and that’s one point out of 100 that you’ve lost. So you’ve got to be really focused on everything.”

Stephen and Michael agree that practicing and competing in a pressure fuelled environment helps makes them better teachers.

“Competitions help put you in the shoes of the students who you’re assessing. Having my work watched closely makes me nervous, so it reminds me of what it can be like for our students sometimes and helps me relate to them. It’s a good reflective exercise.” Michael explains.

“It also is good for working on how you provide feedback.  At competitions in the past, I’ve received some excellent constructive feedback from judges and some not so excellent. I think it will definitely improve me as a teacher from that perspective. Providing feedback is one of the most crucial aspects of being a teacher.”

“We always tell our students not to worry when we’re taking notes on their work because we’re most likely writing something positive. But when I’m the one being assessed in these competitions I stress out whenever I see someone taking notes on me.” Stephen says.

The Australian team are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of a gold medal - taking all their own ingredients, including flour and butter, with them to remove any risks from using product available at the competition.

Whatever the result though, Stephen and Michael are grateful for the experience to compete against the world’s best.

“To be able to walk out on the Olympic stage with one of my good mates in Michael is going to be very special. We’ve talked about it for years and years working together at TasTAFE and now it’s finally happening.” Stephen says.