Rosebank Lodge restaurant and function supervisor Monique
Rutene pours a drink before Rosebank Lodge guest Mavis
Sager, of Auckland, orders dinner. Photo by Rachel Taylor.
Just because anybody can work in the hospitality industry
doesn't mean they should, says Rosebank Lodge restaurant and
function supervisor Monique Rutene (21), of Balclutha.
Miss Rutene is a Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) modern
apprentice in food and beverage, and on Sunday, will compete
against seven others for the Food and Beverage Modern
Apprentice of the Year 2010 award in Auckland.
Miss Rutene has been employed at the Rosebank Lodge for
nearly four years, having worked in hospitality since she was
12.
She is the only finalist from the South Island.
One of the things she hated most about the industry, she
said, was seeing people turn up for work with the wrong
attitude: "It's not fair to the venue if you're not providing
the service that [people] come for."
For the contest, Miss Rutene will have 45 minutes to lay a
table and serve three courses with two wines, before being
judged on wine-tasting skills.
HSI marketing co-ordinator Hannah Johnson said the eight
finalists would be given a "magic box" 15 minutes before the
contest, and from what was in it would have to correctly lay
the table, greet the customers, and match wine to the meal.
The Modern Apprentice of the Year will win a trip to
Australia to work in an HSI-selected restaurant, with $1500
prize money towards accommodation.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.