Maverick Javier is living up to his name—fearless and trailblazing like the film character he was named after and willing to push the envelope to achieve his goal.
In 2024, he wrote on his Instagram page, “Today, I am finally able to tick off that coveted item from my bucket list.” That item was his wish to win Best Chef in the Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC), an award he finally won after nine years of participation. That particular competition saw him earn 12 golds, five silvers, and 10 bronze medals in total.
He, is Chef Maverick Javier, a gifted chef determined to carve his own niche in the industry.
“Cooking runs in my family,” he says. His grandmother used to run a carinderia while his father worked as a cook, first in a local restaurant then later aboard a cruise ship. While he knew he loved the kitchen, he chose to finish college first. Armed with a degree in Mass Communications, he worked for six years with one dream in mind—to save enough money for culinary school.
When he had enough money saved, he enrolled at Global Culinary & Hospitality Academy, finally ready to realize his dream of becoming a chef. He was very excited and eager to start this new chapter, then quickly found that it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. He immersed himself in his studies—pored through the books, bought ingredients and practiced the recipes at home, honed his skills studiously, and learned all he could from his chef instructors.
After his internship at Mama Lou’s he was hired as a line cook and eventually rose through the ranks to become an area kitchen manager. In 2021, Javier found himself working for world-famous furniture retailer, IKEA, which had opened its biggest store in the world at the MOA Complex. Here he was the kitchen production team leader, a stint that taught him a lot about business management. But there seemed to be something missing. “What else can I do?” he pondered. He needed an outlet for creative pursuits.
Doing consultancy work paved the way for him to challenge his creativity and versatility, particularly in R&D. He had previously worked with Chef Pauline Benedicto of Mr & Mrs B restaurant in Davao and he would eventually be back in the company fold through Rekado Global Food Solutions. The company is involved in industrial-scale meal production, food service management, and commissary operations. Javier is currently the corporate executive chef and is focused heavily on R&D.
Culinary competition was another arena he focused on to test his mettle as a chef. Here, the challenges where numerous and varied. That lit a spark in him. He started competing at the PCC in 2015 and in the succeeding years would continue to practice and improve his skills. He says he started dreaming of winning chef of the year in 2015, inspired by Chef Kenneth Cacho. “I said to myself that one day my name will be called for that award and I would go up the PCC stage to receive it,” he recalls.
He got his wish in 2024. With his family in the audience, Javier was crowned Chef of the Year (COY) after earning four highest golds plus one gold, two silvers, and one bronze medal. He later wrote on his social media post, “It took me nine challenging years filled with doubts and disappointments … the road to reach the goal was long and winding … heartbreaking at times … but it was also beautiful, humbling, and inspiring.”
“I’ve been blessed,” he says, “and I am thankful to everyone who mentored me.” He is paying it forward by doing the same for younger chefs. Rather than competing himself at PCC, he now coaches. How does it feel to be in the thick of competition but have to stay in the sidelines? He laughingly says he still needs to learn patience and not let the stress levels frustrate him. Still another hat that he has donned in the realm of culinary competition is as a judge. Javier is a member of LTB Philippines Chefs Association and is currently a rookie judge for WACS (World Association of Chefs’ Societies). These do not, however, mean that he has closed the doors on competing.
In 2024, he was tasked to represent the country at the Worldchefs Global Chefs Challenge Finals in Singapore. It was his first international competition. The following year, at the Worldchefs Global Chef Challenge Asia in Malaysia he earned a silver medal. He plans to continue on this path to gain more experience in global competition, to earn recognition for the country, and to continue to challenge himself.
With his talent, competitive spirit, and dedication there is no doubt that more international wins are in store for him. As he said in his post after winning COY, “I do not intend to rest on my laurels … Onward to the next impossible dream.”
It is easy to dream, but you need to work hard to make it happen. This maverick chef certainly knows that, and is ready to meet the challenge. • Cris C. Abiva
