Young Workforce Development Professional Cookery student, Melissa Wallace, continues to show her passion and drive to succeed, says Allan McTeir, National Hospitality Coordinator.
"Melissa has demonstrated a flare and passion to be a chef since the age of 15yrs, while attending Havelock High School."
"While still at school, Melissa entered the 2008 Hospitality Standards Institute Secondary Schools Challenge & Central Culinary Salon, winning a silver medal in the Dessert Flan category. During that same year she was selected for the ‘Team Hawkes Bay’ Culinary Team and competed at the NZ Culinary Fare in Auckland winning a silver medal in the Scones Class. Melissa’s first year of successes and development was contributed to by members of the NZ Chefs Association Central Branch who were only too happy to share their culinary skills and knowledge", says Allan.
At the beginning of 2009, and while working at Vidals Winery Restaurant, under the guidance of the 2008 NZ Chef of the Nation and Executive Chef Ken O’Connell, Melissa continued to compete, winning a number of medals at the Central Culinary Salon held in April. She added to her already impressive medal haul, a gold medal in the Dessert Cheese-cake category, silver in the Innovative Omelette, and bronze in the Salmon Entrée category. Melissa returned to ‘Team Hawkes Bay’ this year as a junior member, winning a silver medal in the Soup and bronze in the Flan classes.
Melissa is currently working at the Old Church Restaurant as a Commis chef, while studying towards her ‘Professional Cookery Level 4’ qualification as a star student at Workforce Development. Melissa’s goals going forward are to develop her overall knowledge, cooking styles and practical skills in the culinary arts, with a plan to one day attend a pastry school and specialise in pastry. "She also has a keen interest in cake decorating", says Allan.
In combining practical industry skills with competition pressure and ongoing study with Workforce, Melissa is surely on a fast track to success and has given herself every opportunity to participate fully in this very exciting and dynamic industry.
