Written by Kotori Tayama-Gannon

Nestle Golden Chefs’ Hat Award winner crowned 

A 19-year-old New Zealand chef has been named the 2025 Nestlé Golden Chef of the Year. Emily Morgan is one of the youngest winners in the competition’s six-decade history, walking away with the prestigious title, a collection of awards, and a cash prize exceeding $15,000. 

Her victory comes as the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award celebrates its 60th year. Since its inception in 1965, the competition has played a key role in launching more than 8,000 culinary careers. 

Speaking to The Australian Good Food Guide, Morgan stated: “Competing in the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is about expressing who I am as a Chef and what I can contribute to the hospitality world moving forward,” as she looks forward to continuing her journey through these new milestones and opportunities.  

Nestlé Professional is an IMPACT client.  

Outrage over Optus triple zero outage 

A network failure at Optus has left Australian customers unable to contact emergency services, with the outage now linked to multiple deaths. The incident has triggered a formal investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). 

Early findings suggest Optus failed to follow critical escalation protocols, delaying both internal and public responses. CEO Stephen Rue labelled the deaths “completely unacceptable”, attributing the issue to a technical fault during a network upgrade.  

Communications Minister Anika Wells condemned the company’s handling of the incident as a serious failure of responsibility, warning that Optus will be held to account. 

This latest outage comes less than two years after a similar breakdown in 2023, for which Optus was fined over $12 million after failing to connect thousands of emergency calls and perform required welfare checks. 

Arc’teryx firework activation under fire 

Arc’teryx is under investigation by Chinese officials following a controversial fireworks display in the Himalayas. The display was part of a promotional event, and partnered with Chinese artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his gunpowder art and pyrotechnic displays.  

The event drew criticism for its environmental impact on Tibet’s wildlife and fragile ecosystem, with critics highlighting the contradiction between the fireworks and the brand’s focus on conservation. In response, consumers took to social media calling for a boycott of Arc’teryx products.  

The company issued an apology, acknowledging the display was “out of line” with its values, but claimed biodegradable materials were used and that it was aimed at raising awareness of mountain culture. Arc’teryx has also pledged to assess the environmental impact through an external agency. 

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder steps down  

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has resigned citing irreconcilable differences with parent company Unilever. He stated he could “no longer in good conscience” remain affiliated with a brand he believes has been silenced. 

The ice cream brand was founded by Greenfield and Ben Cohen in a renovated gas station in 1978 and kept its socially conscious mission after Unilever bought it in 2000. Cohen has also demanded to “free Ben & Jerry’s” to protect its social values. 

Greenfield said the brand has lost the independence that was meant to be safeguarded by the original merger agreement.  

A spokesperson from Unilever subsidiary, Magnum Ice Cream, disagreed with his assessment, stating the company had sought to engage both co-founders in constructive conversations about maintaining the brand’s values-driven identity.