Earlier this year, four up-coming hospitality professionals were served a delicious dish fit for a gourmet; they were chosen to be the ServiceIQ All Star team with the mission to experience Australia’s famous Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2016.
Selected for their outstanding talent and promise, each All Star is upskilling on-job for a great career.
The cream in the All Stars team is:
✭ Bruno Maciel
ServiceIQ Food & Beverage Apprentice and Duty Manager at Auckland’s De Fontein Belgian Beer Café,
✭ Harrison McIntyre
Apprentice Chef at Auckland’s SKYCITY,
✭ Melissa Lacascade
Food & Beverage Supervisor at Delaware North’s café and bar operation at Wellington Airport, and
✭ Peter Dann
Apprentice Chef at the Copthorne in Palmerston North and ServiceIQ Apprentice Chef of the Year 2015.
Funded by the Hospitality Training Trust (HTT), the 10-day trip gave the next generation of hospitality leaders a rare opportunity to work alongside and gain insights into the techniques, styles and cooking philosophies of some of the world’s most famous chefs.
It was also a chance to gain inspiration and experience, and polish their skills with tips and tricks gleaned at one of the world’s most celebrated culinary events.
ServiceIQ CEO Dean Minchington, says that just like a lot of Kiwis who leave and return from other countries inspired by great food and service, exposure to the international culinary world is an important ingredient in the development of up-coming New Zealand hospitality professionals.
“The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2016 presented a perfect entrée for Melissa, Bruno, Harrison and Peter,” says Dean.
“Whether you’re a chef or you’re running cafés and bars, it’s an incredibly creative field where fresh and exciting ideas combined with excellent service are an important part of the mix in helping to keep customers coming back.
“And even if you are lucky enough to learn from some of the best chefs or hospitality operators in the world in New Zealand, it’s still important to go overseas to gain the experience and insights for yourself and your own professional development.”
The All Stars’ informative and exciting experiences will be highlighted in a series of stories in ServiceIQ newsletters and industry publications in the coming months.