ICC Sydney Apprentice Chef secures Gold award 

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) Apprentice Chef Pastry Thida Htay has won a Gold Medal in the 2025 Australian Culinary Federation New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Regions Apprentice Competition held at the William Angliss Institute in Alexandria, Sydney. 

The announcement underscores ICC Sydney’s focus on talent development by acknowledging the creativity of the emerging culinary professionals in its ranks.   

ICC Sydney Chief Executive Adam Mather-Brown praised Htay for her dedication and the design and execution of her winning dishes.   

Mather-Brown noted “at ICC Sydney, our mission is to make a difference for our team, clients, delegates and community. Being a people-first organisation, we strive to create opportunities for our team members to demonstrate their ingenuity and craftmanship.   

“This Gold Medal is a great testament to Thida’s skills, and we look forward to seeing her star continue to rise as part of our kitchen team who deliver world class culinary experiences to millions of attendees who visit the venue every year.”  

ICC Sydney Executive Chef Rakesh Pillai said he was proud of Htay’s winning effort and her contribution to ICC Sydney’s service offering and culture to date adding “Thida joined ICC Sydney’s ranks last year as a first-year adult apprentice pastry chef. She has shown great tenacity, and her skills have continued to soar with the support and mentorship of our talented senior Chefs including Chef de Cuisine - Pastry, Heinrich Greve; Executive Sous Chef, Sewoo Son; Junior Sous Chef, Travin Dehoedt; and Chef de Cuisine - Production and Kitchen Management Systems, Chris Gatt.   

“We are delighted to see Thida recognised through this award and look forward to her continued contribution to our clients’ event success.”  

Htay said the professional development opportunities at ICC Sydney underscored her personal success and shared “I decided to pursue my dream to become a pastry chef later in life. I am extremely humbled to be recognised in the NSW and ACT regional finals of the Apprentice Competition, and I am grateful for the opportunity to take another step towards my dream career with the support of the team at ICC Sydney.”

The Australian Culinary Federation conducts a cooking competition for apprentices and culinary students in each Australian State and Territory annually. This competition is an opportunity for chefs in training to enhance their skills and network with industry professionals while enjoying a fun and rewarding learning experience. There are four categories: 1st Year Apprentice, 2nd Year Apprentice, Final Year Apprentice, and Culinary Students. The winner in each category will compete in the National Final in the Culinary Challenge Arena at Fine Food Australia to be held at ICC Sydney in September 2025.   

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Image. ICC Sydney's Thida Htay wins gold.