Limone Dining chef Luke Piccolo has been raking in the awards for his skills in the kitchen, and now he's been chosen as a finalist for the highly coveted Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur award.
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It's an intensely competitive award that selects for only the finest Australian chefs, and Mr Piccolo has proven yet again that he is among the best at his craft.
But Mr Piccolo said much of the credit goes to Griffith's producers who supply him with what he believes are some of the highest quality ingredients in the world.
Mr Piccolo is always happy to talk effusively about local produce to diners at Limone, which sources its ingredients from local producers and Piccolo Family Farm.
Mr Piccolo and his farm featured recently in an episode of Better Homes and Gardens, and early this year he taught celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal how best to cook Murray Cod.
His work at Limone has fixed the nation's eyes on Griffith, and he's had many celebrity chefs through his doors in recent months.
"What we're doing has caught the attention of a lot of people, which is really great," Mr Piccolo said.
"It's an exciting time for us."
Promoting the region and its produce has been a passion of his ever since he opened Limone in 2016, and now the Riverina is starting to get the recognition he believes it deserves.
Now that he's been chosen as a finalist for the Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur award he'll be taking part of a three-day produce tour around NSW with the other finalists.
Many of them are multi-award winning chefs from prestigious hatted restaurants, but Mr Piccolo said he isn't intimidated.
He's got a growing list of awards and accolades himself, and he's proven time and time again that he's among the cream of the crop.
The Appetite for Excellence winners will be announced on August 6.
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