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'Eagle Boys' chef soars above the competition to perch amongst the Top 5
'Eagle Boys' chef soars above the competition to perch amongst the Top 5
By Franchise Central on June 2, 2010
Eagle Boy's Pizza executive chef Melanie Townsend has been named one of the top five pizza chefs at the recent Australian Global Pizza Challenge 2010. Ms Townsend’s ‘Strawberry and White Chocolate Dessert Thingie’ claimed first prize at the event, where the nation’s top individual pizza makers, ranging from pizzeria masters to home enthusiasts, showcased their culinary masterpieces.
All entrants were encouraged to submit their commercially-viable recipes within the following four categories: Chicken or Meat, Seafood , Vegetarian, and Speciality/Dessert.
Under the auspices of the ACF, all recipes were assessed by a panel of internationally-recognised chefs and were judged on their originality, balance, creativity, and excitement factor. The top 20 finalists were then invited to a cook-off in Melbourne to recreate their work of genius for the Australian Global Pizza Challenge title.
Ms Townsend was honoured to be named among the nation’s top five pizza chefs after presenting her ‘Strawberry and White Chocolate Dessert Thingie’.
"The competition was amazing fun to be part of as there were so many creative and talented people putting their skills to the test. It was a blur of cheese, sauce and pizza bases and everyone was so passionate about making great tasting pizza," said Ms Townsend.
“My special recipe was the Strawberry and White Chocolate Dessert Thingie we launched in stores a few months ago. It stunned the judges and won the Specialty/Dessert category. It was also the first time a pizza chain has done so well in the competition. Another great aspect of the competition was that I got to see that latest pizza trends come to life. There was a definite theme towards attention to quality ingredients which is exactly where we are heading so it was great to see we were on the right track, staying away from gimmicky and concentrating on each individual product."
"It's given me plenty of inspiration to head back into the kitchen and work on some delicious new treats for Eagle Boys."
As the executive chef of Eagle Boys, Australia’s second largest pizza maker, Melanie Townsend is responsible for researching and developing new pizza bases, toppings and side products.
She has almost two decades experience in the industry having worked as a chef in the United Kingdom and South Africa. She has cooked for celebrities such as Dusty Springfield, Kristen Scott Thomas and Joseph Fiennes.