The first four Mondays in August, an up-and-coming chef takes over the Everybody Eats kitchen at LTD and delivers a three-course dinner built from rescued food, cooking it their way and style. Walk in, take a seat, and let the Everybody Eats volunteers whānau take care of the rest. No bookings. Pay what you can. Sixth year running, and the model stays simple: good food, good company, and a room full of people making a difference one plate at a time. Every course uses rescued ingredients, because eating is fundamental and everyone deserves access to something . 3 August — Oscar Little, Hummingbird Oscar Little started his culinary career five years ago as a commis chef at Shed 5 and The Crabshack, where he learned what it means to commit to a team. He’s since worked his way up to chef de partie at Hummingbird. Along the way he’s volunteered with Everybody Eats, and it’s that spirit of giving back to the community that drives him to compete this year. 10 August — Brayden Puketapu, Koji At 22, Brayden Puketapu is already developing a cooking voice that’s distinctly his own. Working at Koji, he’s drawn to the creative challenge of transforming overlooked ingredients and putting his own stamp on both classic and contemporary dishes. His heritage is central to that identity, grounding his food in something personal while keeping it fresh and inventive. 17 August — Eugenous Evan, Rosella Indonesian-born Eugenous Evan came to Wellington five years ago and hasn’t looked back. After stints at Shepherd, Hillside & Daisy’s, and Supra, he’s now chef de partie at Rosella, where he’s been for just over a year. For Eugenous, cooking is an act of care: a way to share something of himself with every person who sits down to eat. 24 August — Aryan Dhankhhar, Mr Go’s Aryan Dhankhhar’s love of food started young, holding weekend cooking competitions with his sister and himself in their family kitchen in Haryana, India, with their mother as judge. Since then he’s built a career spanning hotels, restaurants, and catering, working across techniques from sous vide to traditional barbecue. A highlight: leading the team at Wilson Barbecue during Wellington On a Plate 2024, where they set a world record selling over 6,000 burgers in a single day. Now at Mr Go’s, he brings that same drive and precision to every plate. Next Gen Cook Off is proudly supported by The Gas Hub.