TRAINING

 

I grew up in Melbourne, completed  schooling, then at seventeen, took on a four year apprenticeship at the Southern Cross hotel.  While training in all aspects of food preparation and service, I entered extra courses, including ice carving and many competitions and events.  In the Australian National Golden Chefs Hat Award, I won five gold and one silver medals, making us national winners.

This was the start of a long and varied career in food .

After completing  training, I  traveled to Europe where I spent time working and travelling in England, France, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey.  Positions t on the world’s top sailing yachts and mega yachts.  From a humble beginning on a Dutch schooner in Turkey cooking privately, I undertook two Atlantic crossings.  Then followed seasons throughout the whole Mediterranean, Corsica, Sardinia, a full tour of the east coast of America, Bermuda, and three seasons in the Caribbean islands.In the winter months,I worked in France cooking in private ski chalets and homes.

Other positions awakened my teaching skills.  As a product development manager for a major London food purveyor, I demonstrated the chocolate kitchen to schools and hotels.  I also appeared in a chocoholics weekend for the BBC television I created a set of classes for groups of people in their own homes in London with great success.

In Amsterdam, I appeared in my own television program called NIX IN THE FRIDGE.  A spontaneous program created in people’s houses, creating simple and quick dishes with only what he found in the fridge. This took me on to various television appearances Including a guest appearance in the original Big Brother house.

I then  set up a restaurant as chef creating menus and kitchen organization in Antwerp, Belgium called  BONBINI, the menu was International.  Along with the restaurant, I began food styling for Libella, one of the highest circulating women’s magazines in Benelux.

Another  project was an 85 seat restaurant In Amsterdam where he was involved in the full building and outfitting, menu planning and running of this modern project.

I returned to Australia where I set up a vineyard restaurant in ocean grove and managed the estate as well as cooking in the restaurant also catering for weddings.

I moved back to Melbourne to take up a role as Chef trainer for a new school called Academia International I was then promoted to Hospitality coordinator then Operations manager .I have been employed full time for the last six years cooking teaching and managing.