Scholarships underpin value of investing in staff

Restaurant Association scholarships underpin the value of investing in staff

The financial overheads associated with studying for higher tertiary qualifications and undertaking personal professional upskilling have been made considerably lighter for a group of successful culinary and hospitality employees awarded this year’s Restaurant Association Education Trust scholarships.

Nine industry personnel have been chosen as scholarship recipients this year – and all have been given a clear indication that the study grants they received have been made at a time when many of their colleagues are struggling in the current tough economic climate.

Restaurant Association Education Trust chairman Tony Adcock said that while this year’s scholarship recipients were all worthy nominees in their own rights, the selection process had been made harder by the sheer number of applicants who were seeking financial assistance due to the impact of the credit crunch on the hospitality and foodservice sectors.

“During a period of immense economic uncertainty and social turmoil, many hospitality businesses throughout New Zealand are looking at cutting back on various financial expenditures within their organisations – and training is often wrongly placed in the firing line,” Mr Adcock said.

“Through these scholarship grants, the Restaurant Association’s commitment to training and ongoing personal career development reflects the importance that the industry’s representative body places on upskilling staff, who will in turn add value to their employer’s business.

“Investing in staff is one of the most visionary yet common sense decisions a business can make. For it is the motivated, committed, loyal and trained staff who will drive a business – through good times and bad. This year’s recipients are particularly fortunate to have been given an amazing lift up their career ladders, when many of their peers are simply struggling to hold on to the bottom rung,” Mr Adcock concluded.

Here are the nine Restaurant Association Education Trust scholarship recipients for 2009….

Merit Scholarship for Secondary School Students
Jack Foster, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Cromwell.

Tapping into an extensive network of well-connected culinary professionals has enabled apprentice chef Jack Foster to move up from cooking lessons at school, to rubbing shoulders with some of New Zealand’s most well known chefs.

The first link in the human chain of ‘people-who-know-people’ was Jack’s hospitality tutor at Wakatipu High School, Michael Stockwell, who told students: “I’m not going to teach you to bake scones, I’m going to teach you to cook and plate up as if you’re working in fine dining restaurants.”

During his school years, Jack was employed on weekends as a kitchen hand, and assisted front-of-house at local Arrowtown café/bar Joe’s Garage where he enjoyed the personal contact with patrons and the informal atmosphere.

“But I wanted more. I knew I really wanted to become a chef in a fine dining restaurant,” said Jack.

“Mr Stockwell was the first inspiration who made me want to further my career - encouraging and supporting me to get some work experience in a local restaurant during the year. At the end of 2007, I was invited to Blanket Bay to meet former New Zealand Chef of the Year, Jason Dell, who talked to me about the challenges and opportunities of working in a professional kitchen,” Jack added.

“Jason then introduced me to his friend Grant Jackson, owner of Queenstown’s well known Boardwalk Seafood Restaurant and a stalwart of the New Zealand Chefs Association,” said the enthusiastic 17-year-old.

“Grant Jackson has become an inspiration and mentor to me - initially taking me on as a Gateway (apprenticeship training programme) student through school last year while I completed NCEA level two and several hospitality and cookery unit standards toward my cheffing qualification.

“During this time I worked alongside Grant for approximately five hours a week in the kitchen, doing prep’ and then later in the year completing weekend work as part of the restaurant’s kitchen team, with a responsibility for desserts.

“I was thrilled when chef Jackson offered me an apprenticeship at Boardwalk, as he has such a great restaurant with an excellent reputation. I’d like to finish my apprenticeship at Boardwalk and then head overseas to widen my career experience.”

Jack said the Restaurant Association Scholarship funding will be gratefully used to assist paying some of the fees for his modern apprenticeship in cookery, studying at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, as well as buying books, and contributing towards the essential tools every chef needs... knives.

“Cheffing doesn’t feel like work to me - although it can get very challenging - because it’s something I love. I am always learning new things every day I’m in the classroom or working at Boardwalk,” said Jack.

Merit Scholarship for Secondary School Students
Kelly Harris, Pacific International Hotel Management and Training School, New Plymouth.

Striving to reach the senior echelons of hotel management is the career motivation for highly-focussed hospitality trainee Kelly Harris.

During her formative years in Tauranga, Kelly developed the passion to pursue a career which has already seen her gain several accolades - including the Sir George Seymour National College of Tourism and Travel Trophy for her school, as well as picking up a bronze medal at the Bay of Plenty Hospitality Standards Institute Junior New Zealand Challenge for a salmon dish.

Realising hospitality was the career path she wanted to seriously embrace, 18-year-old Kelly undertook a Gateway school-to-work transition programme – working one day a week at The Sebel Trinity Wharf Hotel in Tauranga as part of her school studies. She was encouraged along the way by visionary teachers Claire Fuller and Phillip Cranston who pushed Kelly to follow her dreams.

“I worked at Clarkes Restaurant in the suburb of Omokoroa, and was very fortunate to have Steve and Louise Rowe as my employers - Steve as chef, and Louise as restaurant manager. Both of them were excellent role models for me because of the enthusiasm they showed for the business and the industry as a whole,” said Kelly who is currently studying an international diploma in hotel management at the Pacific International Hotel Management School in New Plymouth.

“The training I’m undertaking at PIHMS, which the scholarship will partly fund, is increasing my confidence, skills, experience, and ability to manage personnel. Event management interests me the most at present, and I see plenty of opportunities in this field.

“My career goal is to eventually become a hotel division manager, then aim for a general manager’s position. In the hospitality industry I believe there are no limits to what I can achieve and where I could go.

“Currently I’m learning a raft of new skills both in the practical side - through table service, kitchen work, barista and bar tending - and the theory side which involves management skills such as accounting, communications, research, and marketing.”

Kelly is remaining positively optimistic about what will come from the current economic crisis impacting on the New Zealand hospitality industry.

“Obviously the hospitality industry will be challenged, in fact all sectors will be suffering, but I have always been of the opinion ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’,” she said.

Merit Scholarship for Secondary School Students
Erin Herbert, Waikato Institute of Technology.

Early childhood memories of helping her mum make chocolate chip cookies for a yearly kindergarten trike-a-thon have inspired budding caterer Erin Herbert onto greater culinary heights.

“Living with a mother who is a high school food technology teacher, and an eldest brother who is a trained chef, it’s no wonder I have a passionate interest in the trade,” said 18-year-old Erin from Hamilton.

“Through experience of simply watching them prepare, cook and present food, cooking has become second nature to me. Being brought up in a family who ate only home-cooked meals, you start to learn to cook at a very young age.

“Winning class competitions at school and lately winning my class at the Waikato Culinary Fare have grown my enthusiasm for the hospitality industry,” added Erin, who is currently undertaking a certificate in catering at the Waikato Institute of Technology in Hamilton.

“Years earlier I watched my brother cook at a live show at the very same competition, so I guess this is like a dream which has been a long time coming. Since then I’ve seen him win two scholarships - to work in England and Australia. He has had the most amazing time since choosing this career path, and I hope I will have the same success as he has.”

When she eventually graduates from polytechnic studies, Erin has aspirations to work in France, Italy or Spain, or her dream destination of Dubai – maybe working on a cruise liner en-route. Her culinary passion is currently leaning toward pastry and larder work – particularly the intricate presentation options available on sweet dishes.

Erin admits that without the generous support of the Restaurant Association scholarship, she would not have been able to attend tertiary studies this year as the cost of fees and equipment such as knives and uniforms would have been too great to bear.

“The scholarship funding has already improved my ability to achieve, as I can now concentrate on my career without having to work full-time to pay for the fees,” she said.

Merit Scholarship for Hospitality Students
Benjamin Frith, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland.

Following in the shadow of a big brother has seen food-loving Benjamin Frith rapidly escalate his kitchen career from peeling spuds and washing dishes, to lining up to participate in one of New Zealand’s most prestigious culinary competitions.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve liked to play with my food. The difference is now I do it for a living and play with other people’s food,” laughs the 19-year-old from Howick in Auckland.

“I was always given free range of the kitchen at home from about seven-years-old… back then my trade mark dish was banana cake. But when I was about 15, I went to work with my brother Andrew and found it was a whole new world in a commercial kitchen - one that seemed to suck me in.

“I was bored during the summer holidays. Andrew offered to take me into work with him to help out in the kitchen at Tribeca restaurant in Auckland. That’s where it all started - peeling potatoes and onions, and of course doing the dishes… which there never seemed to be a lack of. I wasn’t getting paid for my work but I enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and the atmosphere of a busy service.

“In fact I liked it so much that I asked Andrew to take me in again, and soon I was one of the crew. Then I started getting into cooking and messing around with recipes at home.”

When Andrew finished his studies and headed overseas, Benjamin thought that was the end of his unpaid work experience at Tribeca. However, a few months after Jack’s brother left the restaurant, the head chef rang him and asked if he wanted a part-time job.

“I was paid this time, and it was better than what I had been doing before,” said Benjamin.

From Tribeca, Benjamin began working in the kitchen at the Prospect of Howick – a venue he has left and returned to several times over the ensuing years. Benjamin still follows in his brother’s footsteps – working at several other eateries that elder sibling Andrew started out at, even though many of them have changed ownership over the years.

Chef Frith aspires to one day go into the hospitality business with his brother – although his big ambition for this year will be striving to represent Manukau Institute of Technology’s at the Toque D’Or competition in the New Zealand Culinary Fare. He is currently studying for a certificate in advanced cookery and a diploma in culinary practice at the Manukau Institute of Technology.

“This scholarship means that I’ll be able to focus a bit more on doing the best I can on the course and learning to my full potential. I’m working fulltime while I am attending the course so that I can fund the remaining fees and pay the bills. The scholarship has meant that I don’t have to take out a student loan for my diploma and it’s very much appreciated,” he said.

Merit Scholarship for Hospitality Students
Tony Chester, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland.

What started as a ‘fill-in’ job to help pay for a skiing holiday in Canada has now snowballed into a full-time learning experience for young chef Tony Chester.

Tony first entered a professional kitchen two years ago after taking an introductory course in bar-tending, cocktail-making and restaurant service.

“When I went to Canada for the snow, I got a job at a pizzeria to pay my way. The people I was working with were a great bunch and I couldn’t learn enough from them…. it was as if I just found my niche in life,” admits the 22-year-old from Auckland who is now studying an advanced professional cookery qualification at Auckland University of Technology.

“Initially the only influences in my cooking were the chefs and other people working around me. It wasn’t until about after a year that I started looking to outside influences. When I look to other chefs for influence, the main role model I would think of is Rick Stein. His use of fresh seafood and ingredients appeals to me.”

Exuberant Tony said the Restaurant Association scholarship funding would assist in reducing his student loan quicker – and would consequently speed up his international career aspirations.

“I plan to stay in Auckland for the next couple of years - finishing my qualification and gaining a bit more experience before travelling to Europe to get some real experience. At this stage I plan to take the road of fine dining,” he said.

“With this financial aid, I can also focus on pure learning and not have to worry quite so much about the money aspects of this year as much – like taking on a part-time job.

“Working through the scholarship application process also helped me define why I was doing this, and what my aspirations were. So even if I hadn’t won the scholarship, it still would've been worthwhile for that reason.”

Last year while studying at Otago Polytechnic, Tony was a double medal winner at the Southern Light Salon Culinaire – taking out a gold medal, and winning the junior soup section, then following it up with a silver medal in the junior pasta section.

“This scholarship helps to say to other professionals that I mean business. In years to come, particularly when I travel, it will help me with future job prospects and getting into some of the better restaurants,” he said.

Merit Scholarship for Group Modern Apprentice
Niels Naumann, Verbena Restaurant, Auckland.

A young chef with outstanding leadership skills who is now mentor to peers only a few years younger than himself, has been selected as a scholarship winner for his ability to inspire others.

Niels Naumann is just 20-years-old, yet has already been identified by his employer and those involved in his training regimes, as a man with the potential to make a difference to the foodservice industry.

Niels, who works at Verbena Restaurant on Auckland’s North Shore, was the first apprentice recruited for the Restaurant Association’s group modern apprenticeship programme in 2006. Verbena is run by former New Zealand Chef of the Year and well-known chef personality Stephen Thompson who describes Naumann as: “A very focused individual who will go far in his chosen profession.”

Aside from his job on the pans at Verbena, Niels spends many voluntary hours each week assisting the food department at Long Bay College on the North Shore, where he has been involved in the production of a calendar featuring his recipes, as well as training students for the national Culinary Fare.

Last year, Niels was selected by the Hospitality Standards Institute to represent the modern apprentices in the Toque d’Or discipline at the Culinary Fare – where he came away with a gold medal. Niels’ preparation for the event required him to attend training sessions on his days off for the six months leading up to the event.

Long Bay catering and hospitality head Tanya Black describes Niels as: “A natural leader with very good communication skills, who allows others to develop their best, and builds a team by creating a shared vision and setting high expectations.

“He has worked alongside Long Bay College students – training them for both regional and national competitions. In 2008, Niels not only worked full-time and trained himself for the Toque d’Or, but also continued to train Long Bay College students for competitions up to 12 hours a week – that’s an almost superhuman effort which proves not only what an exceptional man he is, but also selfless… as this was all done as a volunteer,” Ms Black said.

After beginning his tertiary education at the Manukau Institute of Technology and initially enjoying pastry work, chef Naumann has now moved onto the hot line, but is hungry to move onto bigger things – namely heading up the kitchen brigade in a large restaurant.

“The tutoring work I undertook with the students at Long Bay College helped reinforce my own learning in my apprenticeship, by sharing knowledge with others. Without the modern apprenticeship programme it would have been unlikely that I would have become a chef, due to the expense of training and the large amount of written work,” he said.

“The apprenticeship programme has put me in contact with influential people in the hospitality industry and allowed me to learn the craft first hand.”

Merit Scholarship for Group Modern Apprentice
Sarah Atherfold, Euro Restaurant and Bar, Auckland.

Kindly advice from a visionary manager steered young chef Sarah Atherfold away from a waitressing career and into the kitchen, where she is now enjoying the fruits of studying under the Hospitality Standards Institute’s industry-leading apprenticeship scheme.

“I started waitressing at my local café, Khave in Saint Heliers, when I was 14. My boss gave me many opportunities to get involved in the business,” said 19-year-old Sarah who lives in Auckland. “He convinced me to stay working in front of house, instead of training to be a chef, which was my original plan.”

While still at school, Sarah began studying for unit standards qualifications. Sarah was influenced by her hospitality teacher who placed the teenager on an advanced training programme above her year level, then introduced Sarah to the apprenticeship scheme.

After leaving school, but still dabbling with front-of-house service, Sarah spent several months as a cocktail waitress at Pasha bar on Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf before eventually transferring to its neighbouring sister operation, the fine dining Euro Restaurant and Bar. Restaurant Association training coordinator Peter Le Grice was instrumental in guiding Sarah through the ongoing apprenticeship process with Euro.

“Through my apprenticeship programme, I have learnt about working in an effective team environment. I have witnessed a range of management styles and learnt to operate under different leaders. A successful restaurant relies on a strong team which is committed to the management’s vision,” Sarah says.

“In the apprenticeship programme I have gained a sound understanding of the basics of hospitality standards. It has also broadened my knowledge of the industry – showing me the range of possible career opportunities available.

“I now aim to explore other areas in hospitality, such as cookery, catering, and management – and eventually, after doing a bit of travelling around the world, I’d love to open my own ‘local’ café back here in Auckland,” she said.

“There’s always something new happening in my line of work that I can get involved in. I think the apprenticeship programme has encouraged me to get more involved with the wider industry.”

A desire to pass on knowledge to others and raise the standard of customer service among industry colleagues steered Margaret Main from ‘doing it’ to ‘teaching it’.

Margaret first became interested in hospitality as a career when she left school and headed to Wellington to study hotel reception, followed by a three year diploma in hotel and catering administration.

“I still remember the school career counsellor telling me that I should stay on at school and focus on accounting, as I would be ‘bored’ by hospitality. How wrong that prophecy turned out to be…. I don’t think I can say I have had one day of being bored in this industry in more than 20 years,” laughs Margaret.

Now, after almost 20 years in the industry – moving through a variety of roles ranging from waitressing at the long-standing Prego Restaurant in Auckland, to being a sales rep’ for wine and spirits agency Pernod Ricard, Margaret started her own hospitality training and coaching business at the end of 2007. The business, called Turning Tables, provides on-site training to various cafés, restaurants, bars, and catering venues within the Auckland area.

“I’ve been very spoilt during my hospitality career to work in some amazing places and with some very passionate and professional people. One of the big influences early on in my career was the opportunity I had to work at Huka Lodge in Taupo,” she said.

“This work experience cemented to me the importance of really being interested in your guest as a person, not a number, and always striving to provide everyone with a ‘WOW’ experience.”

Now aiming to replicate the art of creating that ‘WOW’ factor, Turning Tables’ training sessions cover such disciplines as personal presentation, food and beverage knowledge, customer service, front-of-house skills, induction training and sales skills.

Margaret intends splitting the Restaurant Association scholarship grant into two halves – with the first half enabling her to attend three short courses at the Auckland University Business School – training trainers, coaching and mentoring, and managing people.

“There are a lot of young managers in our industry who have not yet gained the necessary life skills to effectively manage their teams, and this is a focus of a lot of the training that I am currently doing. I hope the ideas that I learn from these courses will go on to benefit many others in the hospitality industry,” she said.

“The ‘train the trainer’ course will provide me with the new ideas and skills required to improve the delivery of my training to customers and their staff. The coaching and mentoring course will help me develop my skills for providing assistance with on-the-job training,” said the 38-year-old.

The other half of the scholarship will enable Margaret to spend two to three weeks in on-the-job study at an upmarket lodge-style hotel in Victoria, Australia.

Continuing Education Grant
Kenneth O’Connell, Vidal Restaurant, Hastings.

New Zealand’s reigning Chef of the Year Kenneth O’Connell will be using his Restaurant Association scholarship to study a new way of sourcing menu ingredients directly from local boutique food producers.

Later this year, chef O’Connell is travelling to Sydney to work at the 2008 Australian Restaurant of the Year – Quay Restaurant, headed up chef Peter Gilmore who works closely with local farmers and providores to grow and source ingredients and serve cutting-edge modern food.

“Nowadays food is mass produced, and a lot is imported, when the items I need can be produced within a hundred miles of my restaurant ethically and organically. For example, using farmed paua, line-caught fish from smaller fishing boats which use sustainable methods, organic vegetables, hydroponically-grown micro-salads, and greens which are delivered from a grower but are kept alive at the restaurant and cut fresh for each service,” said 38-year-old chef.

“Quay Restaurant has a managed farm in the blue mountains, where the majority of the organic produce is grown. These products are not your everyday fruit and vegetables, but less well-known items which are not economically viable for large producers to grow, but give customers a more individual and surprising dining experience. The products are selected from seed catalogues, and the farm grows the items to order.”

Quay Restaurant’s current menu is a four-course a-la-carte selection with six dishes per course - constructed using Pacific, Asian and French-influenced cuisines, and showing a well-balanced fusion and in-depth knowledge of textures, flavours and combinations.

“Peter Gilmore doesn’t have much international recognition but it is only a matter of time before his concepts and thinking will push cuisine to new levels in Australia and New Zealand,” added chef O’Connell.

“I have two suppliers here in Hawke’s Bay who will do the same for me, and I want to see how this process is successfully established on a larger scale, managed, and then delivered to the restaurant. I feel that modern cooking should take this route of sustainable, organic and naturally produced and cooked foods, where the natural flavours are kept and enhanced,” said chef O’Connell.

“This is not a trend or a new style, but is the future of our craft as chefs. I feel that there is more to cheffing these days than taking goods from a delivery man and cooking them, as a chef should be part of, and have an influence on, the products he is using.”

Originally from Ireland, chef O’Connell came to New Zealand almost two years ago. He credits his culinary influences as some of the biggest names in world cooking circles – the Roux brothers who he first looked up to as a commis chef when emulating their French-inspired cuisine. Raymond Blanc – well known for his seasonal menus and sourcing ingredients locally, often producing them on his own estate. TV superstar chef Marco Pierre White. And training guru chef Charlie Trotter from the U.S.A. – a man renown for his outstanding kitchen management.

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