Record cohort of 11 Indigenous chefs graduates from National Indigenous Culinary Institute
Program founded by renowned chefs marks biggest graduating class, with alumni earning top industry honours
The National Indigenous Culinary Institute (NICI) has celebrated its largest graduating cohort to date, with 11 First Nations apprentices completing the commercial cookery program that places talented cooks in Australia's finest restaurants. The 2026 graduates, honoured at a long lunch designed by an alumni chef, represent the culmination of a pathway established by chefs such as Neil Perry and Matt Moran to increase Indigenous representation in high-end kitchens.