First Place went to Jessabel Granada of Nanam restaurant.
Culinary rivals from New Zealand and Australia will be represented at the 2025 World Tapas Competition in Spain later this year due to their outstanding culinary tapa skills displayed at the Australasia Tapas Competition.
Five Australian and 29 New Zealand contenders travelled, and braved the challenging winter weather conditions, to cook at Ignite Colleges’ campus in Wiri, Auckland yesterday to battle for an opportunity to represent the Australasian region at the global competition, scheduled for November in Valladolid, Spain.
This, the 7th Australasian Tapas competition was organised by Jasbir Kaur, Head of Global Education Partnership and Business Development at Skills’ Ignite Colleges, to ensure the growing calibre of tapa chefs from the Southern Hemisphere is represented at the prestigious Spanish finals.
All the participants proffered their culinary creativity and innovation under time pressure, with dishes that ranged from, Magical Mushrooms, and Octopus, Kawakawa & Chorizo, through to Savoury Crispy Chickpea strips and even a Cantonese Arancini.
After seven hours of tasting, judging and conferring, the winners were defined and awarded by esteemed judges that included: International Chef Mark Erickson, Provost at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Angel Moretón, Director of the World Tapas Competition; New Zealand Chefs: Michael Meredith [Chef and Owner, Mr Morris], Brent Martin [Executive Chef, Park Hyatt], Nancye Pirini [Executive Chef, Pullman Auckland Airport], Patrick Ikinofo [Executive Chef, SkyCity] and Zenon Christian, [Head Chef, Paris Butter] with internationally renowned restaurateur Chand Sahrawat, and Hospitality Business editor, Kimberley Dixon.
All Expenses Paid
First Place went to Jessabel Granada of Nanam restaurant, Auckland; second to Andrea Vignali of Al Dente Enoteca, Melbourne, with joint third-place winners, Renz Condino and Deepak Anand.
Jessabel secured an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in Spain on November 10. Her winning dish, called The Storyteller included a Wagyu beef sausage in taco, chipotle mayonnaise, coriander, peanut BBQ sauce and light pickles. It wowed the judges due to its exceptional taste, presentation, and creative flair.
Accepting the trophy Jessabel said “I’m incredibly proud and excited to represent Australasia in Spain. This competition has been an amazing opportunity to push my creativity and compete alongside so many talented chefs.”
Commenting on her entry Head Judge, Chef Mark Erickson said it captured exactly what a tapa should be in terms of size, purity of flavours and simplicity. “There’s a saying that the epitome of a great dish isn’t when there’s nothing left to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away. Jessabel’s dish exemplified that overall experience. Her tapa also represented more than just a dish it was about culture, people and coming together to create something new. She successfully used food as a platform to celebrate.”
Event organiser, Jasbir Kaur, says the competition continues to lift the profile of chefs on the global stage. “We created this competition to give Australasian chefs a world-class platform and it’s inspiring to see the level of creativity on display.”
“We have awarded both First and Second place winners the opportunity to travel to Spain to represent the Australasia region and we will follow their participation with great interest! It was outstanding to see the degree of tapa skills on display at our competition from so many talented participants.
“Our winners will now carry the spirit and skill of our region to Spain, and we’re excited to follow their journey.”
Australian Andrea Vignali, who won second place, was thrilled to learn he too would be travelling to Spain to continue the competition and development of his skills!
Jasbir is a regular judge at the Americas and Asian Tapas Competitions and she has been both a competitor and judge at the World Tapas. She has also worked at the legendary Disfrutar, so Spanish cuisine is a firm favourite.
“A winning tapa is more than just a small bite. It’s a complete story on a plate. It should first catch the eye – beautifully presented, balanced in colour, and inviting. But it’s not just about looks. The taste must be bold yet harmonious, with layers of flavour that surprise and delight in just one or two bites. It should reflect creativity, show excellent technique, and make smart use of ingredients, whether traditional or innovative.”