Stephen Nairn said, “I’m absolutely delighted to be participating as a mentor – I always try to do as much as I possibly can to nurture, inspire and develop youngsters who want to be chefs and are passionate about coming into the industry. I think the role of mentor is super-important when you’re in such a challenging industry as hospitality.”
This team joins the esteemed alumni of Proud to be a Chef mentors, including Estelle’s Scott Pickett, Ritz Carlton Executive Pastry Chef Kay-Lene Tan, and Adam D’Sylva of Coda and Tonka fame.
Fonterra Australia’s Foodservice Director Vic Landells said that Fonterra has a proud history of supporting the development of the next generation of culinary leaders.
“We pioneered the Proud to be a Chef program back in 1997 with the objective of nurturing the culinary talent of tomorrow by providing experiences not normally available to an apprentice chef just starting out.
“With a strong focus on mentorship, we aim to teach participants skills they will use for years to come, instil them with greater confidence and a sense that the sky’s the limit,” said Vic.
The proof is in the pudding – with previous winners securing placements with acclaimed chefs including Eric Teo at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Singapore, Dan Barber at Blue Hill Restaurant and Thomas Keller at Per Se in New York, as well as Michelin star restaurant El Poblet in Valencia, to name just a few.
”Many in the hospitality industry are doing it tough right now, particularly with labour shortages, so any support we can provide to develop and retain talent in a sector that plays such a huge role in our business, is a win-win,” said Vic.
Fonterra Australia’s Acting Channel Marketing Manager John Zoghbi continued these sentiments adding that, “We’re constantly looking at how we can make subtle improvements to keep evolving the program, improving the overall experience and engagement for our aspiring apprentices.”
John noted that each year is not without its challenges and paid tribute to the customers who support the Proud to be a Chef program as a source for energy and motivation to deliver our best each year.