Page 44 - foodservice magazine June 2019

6
30 UNDER 30
NATASHA BURNETT, 29
Head chef at Marion, VIC
“I love challenging myself and others around me to be creative and strive to always learn and improve. Throughout my career I’ve learnt that you won’t get anywhere unless you are willing to put in the hard work. Never stop learning from the people around you.”
MARIA KABAL, 28
Head chef at Añada, VIC
“I sort of came to be a chef by accident. I only knew I wanted to get out of Estonia after high school. My parents insisted I go to university, but I wasn’t particularly academic. I looked up subjects I could do in different cities and stumbled across “culinary arts”. I was not prepared for how difficult it would be, but nor was I prepared for the passion it would ignite in me.”
MADDISON HASSETT, 23
Assistant restaurant manager at Vintners Bar and Grill, SA
“I didn’t choose hospitality, I fell into it time and time again.
It’s demanding, exhausting, and very rarely rewarding, but I think that’s what keeps drawing me in. It’s an industry that is constantly challenging, and you can either give up, or embrace the madness.”
NANCE LIONG, 28
Assistant restaurant manager at Momofuku Seiobo, NSW
“When you see talents and skills in other people that you wish you had, it’s hard not be envious. I’ve been lucky to work with so many talented individuals who were willing to teach me. Everyone has their strengths, and the thing I’ve loved most about this industry is the training processes - everyone has such versatile and varied skills, and we all learn from each other.”
SAIGE WITT, 23
Pastry chef at Stokehouse, VIC
“Being the first chef in my family, the hospitality industry was completely new to me. Knowing so little and starting right from the bottom only made me want to push even harder. Throughout my career, I have learnt that it’s okay to leave a kitchen that places you under unnecessary stress and does not have the time for you, because other places out there will give you the time you deserve.”
JARROD WALSH, 27
Head chef and owner at Hartsyard, NSW
“I chose a career in hospitality mainly to be able to travel and learn from different cultures and cuisines. I felt that being chef was a good way to express the only side of creativity that I had. The thing I love the most about hospitality is the different people you meet every single day. Whether it is an employee, supplier or customer, there is always something or somebody interesting to connect to.”