This week, Damien Neylon was announced as winner of the 2015 Hostplus Hospitality Scholarship supported by Melbourne Food and Wine (MFW).

Damien, Sous Chef at ‘Brae’ in Victoria – a modern restaurant celebrating local food sourced from the land – astonished judges with his finesse and dedication.

On announcing the winner, Natalia O’Brien, CEO of Melbourne Food and Wine summarised why Damien was selected above the other first-rate applicants from the hospitality field:

“There was a real depth of quality in the applications that we received this year, however, Damien’s level of skill and dedication to his craft stood out to the judging panel. He clearly has a very bright future ahead of him and it is such a pleasure to play a helping hand to realise his career aspirations.”

The national scholarship is open to individuals aged 18-30 years working across the hospitality industry. After reviewing video entries, four finalists were selected on the basis of their skill, knowledge and ability to shape the future of the industry.

For the final stage of the selection process, judges visited each finalist at their place of work to see how they operate on a daily basis.

Representing some of the most influential names in the industry, this year’s judges included Ms. O’Brien, along with Umberto Mecchi, Group Executive – Strategy, Marketing and Growth; Matteo Pignatelli from Restaurant and Catering Australia; MFW Legend Gail Donovan; and 2014 Hostplus Trailblazer Rafael Rashid.

As the 2015 winner, Damien will now work alongside Melbourne Food and Wine, gaining invaluable experience at three of the world’s leading restaurants and documenting his journey  on the MFW website. He will also be introduced to a MFW Legend who will offer him a yearlong mentorship on his return.

On accepting the scholarship, Damien said: “Firstly I’d like to thank Melbourne Food and Wine and Hostplus for this great opportunity. In this scholarship, I’d like to continue to move forward as a chef, learning and seeing new things and applying them in the workplace, and hopefully contributing to what I think is a really special industry.”

Image: Hostplus CEO David Elia, Damien Neylon and Natalia O’Brien