Hilton's three winning F&B Masters with Heidi Kunkel, Vice President of Operations for Australasia and GM's of Hilton hotels in Perth, Surfers Paradise, Sydney and Brisbane.
Hilton’s three winning F&B Masters with Heidi Kunkel, Hilton Vice President of Operations for Australasia and GM’s of Hilton hotels in Perth, Surfers Paradise, Sydney and Brisbane.

The next crop of innovative food and beverage talent on show at Hilton properties across Australasia was on show this week as the company’s annual Masters Grand Final took place at Hilton Brisbane.

Three cup categories were again up for grabs across Culinary, Barista and Bar disciplines, with the event open to all Hilton Australasia employees across any department who are eager to show their skills and demonstrate their talent, passion and prowess in their daily duties. The competition regularly sees the company unearth new talent working in other departments and helps drive an individual’s career with new experiences and opportunities for advancement.

After careful judging from representatives of Pernod Ricard, Vittoria Coffee and Lion, team members from Hilton Sydney, Brisbane and Perth were crowned the winners in the Culinary, Barista and Bar categories respectively, each rewarded with their prize of a five-day secondment in hospitality at a Hilton property of the winner’s choosing inclusive of flights, accommodation and meals.

Taking home the Culinary Cup was Tua Fatongiatau from Hilton Sydney, who had judges craving more of his creation – swordfish with Bloody Mary sauce, corn and chorizo hash, braised cos lettuce and saffron.

Winner of the Barista Cup – Sophie Dewhurst of Hilton Brisbane – took home the prize with a delicacy of a Turkish Delight-inspired hot chocolate, made with the addition of rose syrup.

The Bar Cup was claimed by Aaron Foo from Parmelia Hilton Perth, who harnessed inspiration from Rolls Royce – the world’s most expensive car – to create a whisky and truffle-infused cocktail which left the judges stunned.

Hilton Vice President Operations Australasia, Heidi Kunkel, said the popular event is a celebration of the hospitality talent that is right under the noses of 27 Hilton group properties around the region.

“The event fosters loyalty and engagement between team members and is testament to our award-winning workplace culture.

“We know that it’s our team members who bring our F&B excellence to life everyday by providing guests with exceptional dining experiences, so we want to ensure they are continually inspired and challenged to do so.”