What's involved in your job?
We prep the food for the following day. In the case of a dinner at Heidi's Hut, this may mean prepping the slow-roasted beef, salting curing the salmon or slicing the carpaccio.
Once dining time comes around cooking and serving is a smooth process, plus knowing we have 40 people as maximum capacity keeps things consistent in the kitchen.
What skills or experience do you need?
You need to be calm and have a high attention to detail. With the amount of preparation we put into the food, I suppose you need to be pretty patient and organised! Working in different types of restaurants also adds to your experience.
What were you doing before you joined NZSki?
I've been a chef for 12 years and have worked the past two winter seasons for NZSki.
During the summer I worked for a number of high-end island resorts on the Great Barrier Reef, including Lizard Island.
Highs of the job?
Getting to snowboard in-between work!
Lows of the job?
Being in one kitchen can be repetitive, that's why I like the fact I work in both the main base building restaurant and Heidi's Hut.
Your most memorable skifield moment?
Last season I was worked with Varick Neilson in preparing a four-course meal for the Peak Club dinner. The food was high-end.
Also, the end-of-season party was pretty memorable. The whole restaurant was decked out and everyone was having a good time.
Best part of living in Queenstown?
It's a beautiful place to live and there's always something going on.
Worst part of living in Queenstown?
It can feel a little bit small but that's the best part of working a season here; it always feels refreshed when you go away and come back.
Best piece of advice for people who come here for the season:
Don't take it too seriously. It's a season. Have fun with it!
