CHIDLOW’S Standard Gauge restaurant apprentice Alexis Mifsud has won the top honour as the state’s overall apprentice of the year for the third time in a row.

The Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) holds the WA Apprentice of the Year competition annually to test the culinary standard of the state’s next generation of hospitality professionals.

The Standard Gauge apprentice secured the 2026 title, adding to overall state honours she won in both 2024 and 2025.

This year’s result also saw Ms Mifsud named WA Final Year Apprentice of the Year, completing a clean sweep of the competition throughout her apprenticeship.

Ms Mifsud said as a Perth Hills resident, she was honoured to have trained under Michelin-starred Standard Gauge chef Alan Wise and she treasured the opportunity.

“Doing my chef apprenticeship at The Standard Gauge in Chidlow, learning under Alan Wise, a Michelin star chef, is an amazing opportunity for me considering I have lived in the Perth Hills for as long as I can remember,” she said.

“Finding an amazing opportunity so close to home and achieving what I have so far in my career is not something I ever thought would happen as the Perth Hills are so isolated.”

Mr Wise said he saw Ms Mifsud grow alongside the Chidlow restaurant since its beginning and despite the risk of opening in the hills, the results have been great.

“Heading into the restaurant’s third year next month (and) Lexi has been with me almost since day one,” he said.

“It was a risk to open up here (but) I took Lex on and she’s been well up to it, becoming the first apprentice in WA to win best overall chef every year of her apprenticeship.”

Despite handing back the prestigious John De Freitas Memorial trophy, on the day, Ms Mifsud reclaimed it on the same day with her achievement.

Ms Mifsud is bound for Melbourne in September and then Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in March for her final apprenticeship cooking events.