Kiwi chef William Mordido has placed 15th at the Bocuse d'Or 2023 competition.
In first place was Denmark, followed by Norway and Hungary coming in at second and third place.
Supported by his commis chef Szren Hamberger and team coach Ken O'Connell, Mordido was the representative of New Zealand at the high profile cooking competition which was held in Lyon, France.
During the competition, each of the 24 teams had five and a half hours to cook a menu based on the theme of "feed the kids", highlighting the ingredients squash and monkfish.
Mordido's menu showcased the unique produce and heritage of New Zealand.
The team's signature dish was the "Bounty of Te Moana", a monkfish dish that highlighted New Zealand's unique and plentiful ocean landscape with the use of ingredients like sea lettuce and karengo. The monkfish was plated in the spiral shape of a koru, an ode to traditional Māori carving and its symbolic meaning of strength and peace.
Outside of competing at Bocuse D'or, Mordido is the face behind BUKO, a pop-up restaurant that specialises in Filipino cuisine.
Previously, he was the Assistant Head Chef at Chiko's Restaurant and Cafe as well as holding positions in a number of Melbourne restaurants.
Mordido has represented New Zealand in a number of cooking competitions like the WorldSkills International Final and the Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs Cooking Competition.
