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.
