I have now finished my Scholarship with George Calombaris and his restaurants. I couldn’t be more grateful for my time and the many valuable experiences I had. Working in kitchens for over three months confirmed for me that food is something I want to pursue as a career. The question lots of people ask me now is what’s next for Callum? Since leaving The Press Club group recently I have been doing a few catering gigs, cooking demos and charity work. What I’m really about though is education about food.
I have a fantastic opportunity during March and April to visit a group of university colleges, where I will spend time with the students that live on campus. I hope to teach them some basics in how to cook easy, healthy meals (on a uni student budget). I’m looking forward to the challenge- and as a former uni student myself, I have a few tips and tricks that I think will benefit the students. It gets my goat when people think cooking is too hard, time consuming or expensive. Seeing some of my own friends live largely on take away and pre-prepared meals, I want to try and help as many people as I can to understand what fresh cooking is all about.
One of my main inspirations, Jamie Oliver, is currently airing his show ’30 minute meals’ which I think is fantastic, as it shows people how quick it can be to make not just a dish, but an entire meal. If you aren’t familiar, check it out here:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-30-minutes-meals/
After my stint with the university colleges finishes, my goal is to get involved with the education system, and what children are learning about food. I think schools are really improving what they are teaching children, with fantastic programs already existing such as Stephanie Alexanders Kitchen Garden Foundation. Check it out here:
www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au
Wanting to help educate people does not necessarily mean that I’m turning my back on being a chef as a career. I feel though at this place and time I have some fantastic exposure from the Masterchef show which I can use to try and give something back.
I’ll make sure I put some photos up once I start at the colleges, and some recipes to match. In the meantime I’ll be continuing to support fantastic charities like the cancer council, and do some demonstrations for example, the Natuzzi food and wine festival with my good mate Adam Liaw.
Callum Hann
Callum's Kitchen 
Posted by Klara Kamilla on February 10, 2011 at 5:24 am
That’s really really cool Callum 🙂 I love reading your blog, so I hope you keep this side of things up somewhere in your extremely busy schedule!!!
Posted by Simran on February 10, 2011 at 7:31 am
Hi Callum,
You must have had a great experience with George during the time of your scholarship. Good luck for your stint at the college university! 🙂 and hopefully you can post some photos and recipes 🙂
Posted by Alice on February 10, 2011 at 8:13 am
hey callum,
have fun at the college university….i really did enjoy reading ur blogs 🙂 n good luck!!!!!!!!
Posted by Moya on February 10, 2011 at 9:38 am
Good luck, looking forward to reading about your new adventures! Can’t wait to see some great alternatives to 2 minute noodles and cheap Asian takeaway which were my staples as a uni student!
Posted by Old South Wales (UK) on February 10, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Cal
What an inspiration! Stick with it fella, you’ll go a long long way. Australian Masterchef puts the UK version straight in the food waste bin!! Julie, Adam and Callum……the future judges!
Cheers Lee
Posted by nswvicqldntwatas on February 17, 2011 at 7:10 pm
Couldnt agree more with the comment about UK masterchef, find myself just wanted George, Gary and Matt to pop up on the screen! 😛
Love your blog Callum, you’re so inspiring to young ‘wannabe’ chefs like me 🙂
Posted by Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) on February 12, 2011 at 11:16 am
That’s so awesome!! Hope you keep updating the blog too 🙂
Posted by Jude on February 12, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Hey Callum,
Glad you were given the opportunity to teach. I bet you’ll do great. As for me, after reading some entries in your blog, I already learned so many things. Good luck and be safe.
Jude
Posted by Sami on February 16, 2011 at 10:56 am
Good luck Callum!!! You’ll do the students wonders i’m sure! =)
keep us updated with more of your wisdom and photos! 😀
cheers
Posted by Charis on February 16, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Hope you enjoy the teaching (and look forward to the recipes!) – but hope you don’t give up on cheffing forever. Still hoping to visit Callum’s Kitchen as and when I ever manage to visit Australia…
Posted by Nathalie on February 21, 2011 at 5:36 am
Awesome goal. Can’t wait to hear more about it. Am loving the food revolution we’re starting to see in Australia and the way people like you are leading it forward 🙂
Posted by Oliver Callan on February 24, 2011 at 7:17 am
Hi Callum,
I bet it was exciting for you at Jr Masterschief, for one of your menu items to be copied by thr your chiefs? We just watched it here in Ireland last night. Good to see you again too!
Ollie & Caroline
Posted by Oliver Callan on February 24, 2011 at 7:30 am
oops srry waht I ment to say was “copied by the young Chiefs”
Ollie & Caroline
Posted by Paul Wilson on February 27, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Callum I don’t understand why you aren’t pursuing a career in the rodeo clown industry. Secondly i think you should probably wear leather pants all the time.
Love Paul
Posted by Skye on February 28, 2011 at 8:01 am
Hi Callum,
You are such a neat guy! Great performance on masterchef! Love your blog and think it would be great if you could get more light in when photographing your dishes so as to show them off! 🙂
Tell me, what is your favourite cookbook? Or even your top three? And are you planning to write one?
Good luck with teaching. You’ll be an inspiration! So great to see someone young who has a clear vision for what he wants to do with his life! God bless!
Skye in New Zealand
Posted by callumhann on March 1, 2011 at 12:54 am
Hi Skye, thanks for the support! My photography is terrible, I’ll be the first to admit. I have been meaning to get a camera for ages.
I’m not planning on writing a cook book right now, but my favourite four cookbooks would have to be:
Cook, Jamie Oliver- my first ever serious cookbook, my copy is pretty trashed, mostly from extensive use!
The cook’s companion, Stepahanie Alexander- like a bible for homecooks
Quay, Peter Gilmore- a new addition to my collection, with some of the most stunning photography you’re likely to see in a cookbook
French Lessons, Justin North-I love French food, and Justin North is one of my favourite chefs. He’s also a Kiwi!
Posted by Nicole on March 1, 2011 at 7:51 am
Hi Callum,
I loved you on masterchef and supported you the whole way through, you did an amazing job. Hope you visit Melbourne lot’s and let us know what you do. I thinks it’s really good how you want to educate people about food because I think that it is really important. Jamie Oliver is also my favourite cook. I love cooking especially desserts and I love cooking with my cousin as well. Hope everything goes great for you!
Nicole from Melbourne!
Posted by George on March 3, 2011 at 9:02 am
Hoi Callum
Great man that you are 2e into Master Class.
I have follow you in the tv in Holland.
You always my favourite from the beginning.
You did well man
Nice the meet you
George
p.s. do you have msn or yahoo
Posted by Mila on March 4, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Please I’d love to hear all your uni budget tips. I’m so desperate because I love to cook but seriously find it so hard to afford all the ingredients. Really sucks being a poor uni student haha
Posted by Jorien on March 9, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Hi Callum,
Just want to say i think it is realy great that you got 2nd in Masterclass. The show is almost ending here, we are watching the finale. I was curious who would win so i checked the internet.
I was hoping you would win, but Adem did… I have enjoyed watching you.
Good luck with your carrier, you’ll get there!
Greetings from Holland, Jorien
Posted by Luuk van der Laan on March 10, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Hi Callum,
I saw you in Masterchef and you were my favourite. I think you are an awesome cook. I just want to say: good luck with you whole life. And I am gonna try a lot of recipies from you!
Greetings, Luuk (13 years) from the Netherlands!:D
Posted by Aankhi on March 10, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Ah, now I wish I’d have applied in the Australian universities as I’d initially planned to! 😛 Anyway, I’m going to England for uni this year and the thought of cooking for myself brings forth the idea of dry toast and canned food and lots of unhealthy takeaway..a choice between lack of food and/or lack of health. Therefore, I think it’s a great idea, mate! Keep it up!! 🙂
Posted by Josje on March 11, 2011 at 4:06 pm
I just saw you in the final on the dutch television, you were great! From the beginning you were the best! You had the best price, to work with George. Good luck, keep cooking.
Josje from The Netherlands.
Posted by Sophie on March 11, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Hey Callum,
The series of masterchef just end in the Netherlands. I think you are a really good second one! I loved the part that Gary and George got a mystery box challenge. You are great and ceep cooking! You are going to make it really far.
Xxxxxxx
Sophie
Posted by Douwe Dijkstra on March 12, 2011 at 12:04 am
Hi Callum, after seeing the final of the 2010 season which was aired on Dutch tv tonight (march 11,2011) I am so curious about the recipe for the snowegg you and Adam had to make in the final. It looked so incredibly amazing and so nice that, although I know it was one hell of a final assigment (or test)I would like to try and make it. Do you know where to find the recipe or guiding lines how to make it. Further on I would to say to you that I was completely stunned and over-impressed about the desert you made in England for the High Tea. That cake or desert that you made was one of the most impressing things I saw on the Masterchef Australia show during the whole 2010 season. You,Adam,Matthew, Marion, Claire, Jonathan and a some more contestants in the 2010 season made me a big fan of the show and if the 2011 season is broadcated on Dutch TV I will definitely follow this years group for sure. I’m sure you’ll follow your dream and wish you lots of success in your cooking future. Sincerelly Douwe Dijkstra, Haarlem, Holland.
Posted by Sibrand van der Veen on March 12, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Callum,
We’ve just seen the big final of Masterchef 2010 in the Netherlands and we enjoyed it very much.
You and all your mates have been a real inspiration and we really look forward to purchase your book about the technics of cooking.
You are a real artist and wish you all the best with your carreer.
Best regards from the Netherlands.
Sibrand
Ps: Made my own Pasta Peperenate this evening !!!
Posted by Christelle on March 13, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Heya! I have been watching Masterchef here in Canada, a dubbed/subtitled version in French! It was hard not to come online and peek at who the winnner was. Today was the finale episode. I was rooting for you!! But still, 2nd place, not bad eh! Good to see you’re doing well and that your stages at these restaurants have put you on the right track. Cheers!
Posted by Simone on March 16, 2011 at 8:06 am
Hey Callum
From the Netherlands lots of success with all the nice things you’re up to. My 12 year old son and I watched Mastercheff and became big fans.
Groetjes (bye bye in Dutch)
Simone and Geert
Posted by Jill on March 16, 2011 at 9:32 pm
My dear Callum. I must inform you that I am currently, at this very moment, watching Melbourne week on MasterChef Australia. I wanted to tell you that you are an inspiration and a superb cook. And you’re cute to boot :p
“30 minute meals” is airing here in Belgium too. I love Jamie Oliver and I’m glad that he inspires you as much as he inspires me.
I hope you can get your message across to the students. I know, being one myself, we usually go for a quick fix dinner. Well, I do. And the fact that there is a chip shop in my strees makes it even more horrible…
Keep it up, Cal. I’m rooting for you.
Jill
Posted by Josh and Steph Mackenzie on March 18, 2011 at 12:45 pm
So excited to hear your thinking of visiting schools when your done wowing the Uni students! We work up on the Tiwi Islands and the kids here and their families could really use some healthy cooking advice/guidance if you ever find yourself with a free week or something 🙂
Posted by Isabella Little on April 25, 2011 at 8:47 am
Hi Callum I am really excited to hear you are visiting universitys. My brother goes to ANU -Australian National Univrsity and gos to Ursula Hall in the Non Catered Community living area is there anyway you are going to that University?? If so please look Up Ashley Little because he really needs help with cooking food and learning how to cook food he really likes eating helthy food so thats a bonus.
Thanx
Posted by The Artist Chef on May 19, 2011 at 7:44 am
Hi Callum your sprout project is absolutely phenomenal! Making a dietitian and celebrity cook like you create an interesting stuff.
I hope you find time to reply to your mortal followers down here 🙂
And by the way you have a nice and clear photo this time versus your other blurry posts which received bad comments.
Posted by official_sandra chaniago on May 21, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Hello callum 😀
I like reading your blog,it was so fantastic and I can’t explain that with word it was just amazing.
I don’t get it where did you find that brilliant idea to cook.
You just made me believe that dream can be a reality.
Thank you very much and have a great day sir 😀
Posted by ♥ on May 29, 2011 at 6:06 am
♥ just your fan ,, hope you always success . good luck ♥
Posted by Gemma on June 8, 2011 at 4:19 am
Hi Callum! Its so wonderful to see your doing so great and i love your passion! All the best!
Posted by carmenmayamaria on August 8, 2011 at 12:36 am
You have been my favourite contestant in all three masterchef competitions. Come visit Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School and you will find a truck load of fans waiting for you. I have tried nearly every recipe you have published and I hope you continue to write this blog as it is my new hobby! Good luck for the future!
Posted by callumhann on December 11, 2011 at 11:37 am
Hi Carmen
I’m not in Melbourne for a while now so I might not get a chance to come to your school. Maybe you could ask your principal to get in contact with me and I can come cook for your school!
You can find out more details here: http://www.callumhann.com.au