Porcine Bistro Co-Owner and Chef Nik Hill has won the prestigious Bocuse d’Or Australia Golden Knife 2025.
The chef boasts an impressive resume, having worked at the likes of Sepia, Quay, and London’s Michelin-starred The Ledbury.
Hill and Harry Levy opened Paddington restaurant Porcine in 2021, above beloved natural wine merchants P&V’s Oxford Street store. The French bistro quickly became renowned for its niche French fare and nose to tail approach.
The chef said the win felt “a bit surreal”. Each chef had five hours to complete two challenges: a duck ballotine using corn-fed duck from Aurum Poultry and Rougié foie gras, served with sauce salmis; and a platter featuring a Parwan Valley lamb saddle from University Meat.
“All day I was in the zone and only focused on cooking with my commis Liam. I was very pleased with my dishes but to actually win is a bit of a shock,” said Hill.
The significant win will set Hill on track to Lyon, where he will compete in the biennial world chef championship Bocuse d’Or. Sometimes referred to as the Olympics of cooking, the competition has run since 1987 and sees chefs from 24 countries, or thereabouts, fly to France to compete in one of the world’s most prestigious culinary competitions.
Scott Pickett, President of Bocuse d’Or Australia and Co-Head Judge with Chef Philippe Mouchel, noted that being selected as a finalist is a huge achievement in itself.
“Only those who have spent five hours on a kitchen stage – we call it ‘the box’ – understand the intensity, the pressure and the thrill of Bocuse d’Or,” said Pickett.
Finalists included:
- Silver Knife – Princess Anne Uy, Executive Sous Chef, Marvel Stadium Melbourne
- Bronze Knife 3rd – Dayan Hartill-Law, Executive Chef, HOTA Gold Coast
- Bronze Knife 4th – Leela Subramaniam, Sous Chef, Flinders Hotel, Flinders Victoria
Odile Roberts, a Victoria University student who recently joined Chin Chin in Melbourne as an apprentice, received the Best Commis Award, meaning she will join Hill to assist him in the competition. Paul Golding, Australia’s current Bocuse d’Or Candidate, judged the Best Commis Award.
“Not everything went to plan today in Odile’s kitchen, but she remained calm and focused – she kept her cool and kept working through,” said Golding.
Golding also congratulated additional apprentices:
- Silver Medal – Kesay Moo Chit, Victoria University
- Bronze Medals (tie 3rd place) Wiley Major-Kennedy, apprentice chef Marvel Stadium
- Liam Beasy, apprentice chef, MCG.
The competition was held at Foodservice Australia on Sunday 18 May 2025.
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