The project was designed by Summit Youth workers to introduce 12 young people from Queenstown to the hospitality industry and to boost their careers.
The six-week project started on August 18 and culminated in a demonstration for 80 guests at threesixty restaurant last Tuesday, with a top prize of a level 3 cookery course at Otago Polytechnic.
Richard Wilson said he was "blown away" when he came out on top. He had always wanted to study to be a chef after inheriting a love of cooking from his father, Paul, who trained as a chef at the Crowne Plaza, then Travelodge.
Richard cooks meals for the family and also helps his father in his Kiwi Birdlife Park cafe business.
"I have never pushed him into it, but he's got a real passion for it, a real talent," Paul Wilson said.
Richard plated up the meals for the guests, displaying his presentation skills, and also helped cook some of the dishes.
He expects to take up his education prize at the polytechnic as soon as he finishes his studies at Wakatipu High School.
The project was overseen by Crowne Plaza and threesixty chef Phil Ryan along with a team of Queenstown's top chefs.
Summit Youth worker Bella Higgins said she was delighted with the success of the project and the opportunities it offered the 12 young people.
