Commercial cookery SBATs in Ballina

Euro:

Hey, my name is Euro. I'm from Ballina Coast High School, and I'm doing a Certificate III in Hospitality.

Deah:
Hi, my name is Deah, and I'm also from Ballina Coast High School, and I'm doing Cert III in Hospitality.

Euro:
Deah and I have been friends since year 7, from then till now, a long time.

Deah:
We've always enjoyed cooking together at school from year 7 to year 11. We got in contact with our year adviser for apprenticeships, and she led us to Toni, and that's how we got our apprenticeships at Cherry Street Bowling.

Keith Windsor:
My name's Keith Windsor, and I'm currently head chef of Cherry Street Sports Club. Deah and Euro are good boys. They're keen. They enjoy working in the kitchen. They're really working with the kitchen environment pretty well. They're new to it, obviously. They take direction well. They enjoy what they're doing, and they're keen to jump in and work and do exactly what they're told. So it's a great start for them in their career.

Keith Windsor:
Certainly, one of the things I look for, especially with youngsters, is their attitude and how they're going to fit in the kitchen. Teaching skills, learning skills, cooking skills can be taught. That's not a problem.

They need to be able to fit and have the right attitude. Excitement about the industry, excitement about food and cooking and about what you're doing.

Deah:

A day in the kitchen here is usually, for us, prepping cucumbers, tomatoes, lemons, or julienning carrots and beetroot. After we've done our prep, sometimes we're allowed to help them in the fire section or grill section, helping them out, making fish nuggets or fish. The hardest thing in working in the kitchen is probably the rush. Like when it gets really busy, you don't have time to really think about it, you just have to do.

Euro:
Just the flash, just think of the flash. That's where you have to be. Pick up the pace, stay calm, it'll be over soon.

Keith Windsor:
Students, apprentices, any chefs need to move around and try lots of different kitchens. Lots of different styles of food. Whether that’s small little cafes, big hotels, anything. So, moving around and trying things. Get out there and get some experience. Eventually get overseas and do some overseas work. It's a great grounding, and a great rounded career.

Euro:
I started cooking at home with my mother. I just love her food, tastes amazing. She just motivates me and everything. She taught me how to cook. That's the way it started.

Deah:
As a kid, I watched my mum cook, and I wanted to learn from that. And I decided to go to TAFE, with Euro, to learn about how to cook. So one day we could open up a restaurant.

Euro:
Together.

Deah:
Together. Yeah.

Euro:
My parents are definitely happy about it, especially my dad, he supports everything.

Deah:
My parents were really excited when I told them I'm doing apprenticeship here, and they were happy that I found my career so early.

Keith Windsor:
You've got to have that passion. And if your school offers school-based apprenticeship and traineeship, get in there and do that. That is the way to go. It's going to give you the opportunities to get out into a commercial kitchen. It's going to give you training at school. It's going to give you time to get out there and try real commercial kitchen and see what's like.

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