A young Dunedin chef sat on the stairs outside her work and cried when she found she had been selected to take part in a national mentoring programme.
Peita Fleming made the cut for the 2017 Ora King Next Generation mentoring programme alongside chefs from Christchurch and Rotorua.
"I cried, I actually cried. They were obviously happy tears. I just couldn't believe it. I was shaking. It was the most incredible feeling.''
She is being mentored by head chef Darren Wright, of Chillingworth Rd, in Christchurch (who is also part of the NZChef high performance squad). The other mentors include Michael Meredith, of Merediths, and Marc Soper, of Wharekauhau Country Estate.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my career and I am very excited to work alongside such an experienced chef like Darren,'' Fleming said.
Fleming is commis chef at Distinction Dunedin's Parcels restaurant.
She was selected by a panel of judges, based on her pervious culinary experience and drive to develop her skills.
As well as spending a week being mentored by Wright at Chillingworth Rd, she will also showcase her new skills at an industry event held at Merediths in June.
The aim of the programme is to give young chefs a unique insight into the industry and provide opportunities to harness their skillset and fuel their ambition, New Zealand King Salmon marketing general manager Jemma McCowan said.
"The skills they learn will be invaluable to their future as chefs and within their current roles.''
Fleming agrees. She is already doing her mentoring stint at Chillingworth Rd and is loving every minute of it.
"It's brilliant. I didn't think you could learn as much as I have in such a short amount of time.''
The team there was like "one big family'' and had so much passion for what they were doing, she said.
She applied for the programme because she wanted to learn more about using New Zealand's great produce from a top chef.
"I'm gaining so much knowledge and appreciation for what New Zealand food has to offer.''
The process required her to answer an extensive questionnaire and also submit a video highlighting her passion for her work.
From Queenstown, Fleming began her hospitality career in front-of-house roles.
"I was always passionate about food and cooking.''
It was during a stint working at Amisfield at Lake Hayes in front of house that she realised she wanted to pursue a career in food.
"I worked so closely with the chefs there and they were so passionate about food it made me want to pursue it as a career.''
Fleming then made the decision to undertake the bachelor of culinary arts at Otago Polytechnic, but after about 18 months decided she needed to learn more of the kitchen basics.
So, a job beckoned at Parcels, and she has recently signed up to become an apprentice chef so she can learn the basics on the job.
"I felt that was the best option for me.''
Given chefing is a constantly evolving job, learning new things came as part of the package.
"Things are constantly evolving and I want to keep up, but you have to know the basics to move forward.''
