Biography

Andrew started his career as an apprentice at Metrolopois Café in Hamilton New Zealand. After a few years of misspent youth, he found a more positive avenue to channel his energies and took to the kitchen like a duck to water.

Andrew is currently the owner and chef of Simmer Culinary, a diverse hospitality company based on the Mornington Peninsula, that prides itself on providing a personalised paddock to plate dining experience. Food ethics and politics form the cornerstone of how the business is conducted. Simmer Culinary oversees the “Gastronomique Development Kitchen”, a cookery competition training kitchen where we train chefs to compete at the highest level of the culinary arts.

As a part of this role Andrew recently competed in the Australian Professional Chef of the Year and was chosen as the winning 

candidate for 2021. 

Andrew was selected to represent his home country of New Zealand in the Bocuse D’or in Lyon France. This competition was the brain child of famed French chef Paul Bocuse and is considered to be the olympics for chefs. Andrew was also awarded “Australia's most outstanding Chef for 2018 & 2019.   

As well as the above achievements Andrew has begun his journey, opening Provenance By Andrew Ballard which will also be based on the Mornington Peninsula.  

Simmer Culinary mangers and operates all major kitchen operations for such amazing events as Taste of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin, Good Food & Wine Show in all of the major cities and the Cake Bake & Sweets Show for both Melbourne and Sydney. This challenging roll keeps Andrew and the team on the road 20 weeks of the year.

With Covid 19 Andrew used the downtime in 2020 to develop yet another amazing series of culinary events under the umbrella of “The Mindfull Food Project”. These events tackle the current issues faced by hospitality providores, food producers and the dining public. 

In what little spare time Andrew has, he is an avid food forager, spending many hours hunting in the Victorian bush, or found tending to his humble vegetable patch.

2018

• Food Hotel China: Asian Culinary Cup – Winner Gold Medal ACF Culinary challenge Winner gold medal “Australian most outstanding chef”
• ACF culinary challenge - Seafood Live – Gold Medal
• ACF culinary challenge - Lamb Live – Gold Medal
• ACF culinary challenge - Chicken Live – Gold Medal
• ACF culinary challenge - Beef Live – Silver Medal
• ACF Culinary challenge Chefs Table event – Silver Medal
• Australian restaurant of the year – Silver Medal
• Australian professional chef of the year finalist
• Asia Pacific Bocuse D’or finals Goung Zhou China

2017

• New Zealand Bocuse D’Or – WINNER of selection

2016

• Australian culinary challenge “Most Outstanding Chef”
• Component competitions: Beef live course – Gold Medal
• Chicken Live course – Gold Medal
• Static Gateux – Gold Medal
• Battle of the Pacific (Restaurant of the Year) competing as captain of Team Simmer Culinary (Australian stage), Silver Medal
• Battle of the Pacific (New Zealand stage), Bronze Medal
• Judge Bocuse D’Or National Trials

2015

• Battle of the Pacific / Australian culinary challenge – Silver medal
• Australian Culinary challenge
• Static luncheon – Silver medal
• Live beef or veal dish – Gold medal
• Live desserts (2) – Gold medal

2012 

• Runner up 2nd place Australian National “Bocuse D’Or” competition

2012 / 2011

Coaching and management of competition teams successes include:

• Madlen Toumbourou (PM24) 1st place Chain d rotisserie Victoria state 2011, Le touque Blanche national winner 2011 and Thierry Marx scholarship winner 2011
• Junpei Yamakoshi (PM24) Aus tafe 2nd year apprentice 2011 and 1st place national winner

2010 / 2009 

• Coached Holmesglen TAFE competition teams and individuals. Including the training of: 
• Colin Wilson / National winner overall Aus Tafe national apprentice competition 2009
• Bronze medal Victafe culinary competition 2008
• Silver medal Victafe culinary competition 2009
• Silver medal Victafe culinary Competition 2010
• Elizabeth Payne / 2nd place Aus tafe national apprentice competition 2010