Chief executives have put away their business suits to join celebrity chefs in the kitchen to raise more than a million dollars for charity at an event in Sydney.
High-flyers such as Qantas' Alan Joyce and Museum of Contemporary Art's Elizabeth Ann Macgregor teamed up with food icons such as Matt Moran, Neil Perry, Peter Gilmore and Maggie Beer at the CEO CookOff on Monday night to cook dinner for nearly 1000 struggling Sydneysiders.
There was music, dancing and whole lot of hustle and bustle at Sydney's Carriageworks as chefs led their team of CEOs through their individual recipes for the main course of burgers.
For third-time CookOff chef Neil Perry, classic Wagyu burgers - done just like at his Rockpool restaurant - were on the menu.
"It's such a fantastic night and there's such a great community here," he told AAP.
It was the second CookOff for ARIA chef Matt Moran, who was also dishing up Wagyu beef burgers.
"We're having fun and everyone should have a great time," he told AAP.
"It's a great cause and you meet some interesting people."
Quay chef Peter Gilmore and Maggie Beer joined forces to cook Japanese-style burgers, with Beer also supplying passionfruit ice creams for dessert.
For many CEOs, one thing was clear, their participation was one big learning curve in the kitchen.
"I'm a little nervous," said Les Schirato, chief executive of coffee brand Vittoria, who raised the most funds - more than $84,000 - for the night.
"I only do a little bit of cooking at home - mainly teppanyaki."
Macgregor, who was participating in the event for the second time said: "I learnt to chop onions from Bill Granger last time, so I hope I can have a tip to take away with me this time."
The CEO CookOff is a joint initiative of food rescue group OzHarvest and Qantas.
The 2014 event raised more than $1,020,000 for OzHarvest and charities such as indigenous youth support group Tribal Warrior and Life Changing Experiences.
