Long hours, a fast-paced environment, and a sometimes unpredictable industry can prove challenging for even the most seasoned chefs. Hospitality hears from some of the industry’s best to find out their tips for young chefs looking to progress their careers.
Giuseppe Fuzio, a’Mare
Giuseppe Fuzio has come a long way from the dishwashing days of his youth in Italy. The Puglia native has garnered experience across hotels, casual eateries, and Michelin-starred restaurants during his time working across Italy (from the seaside to the alps), the UK, Japan, and finally Australia. Fuzio recently joined Maestro Hospitality as the executive chef of celebrated Sydney seafood restaurant a’Mare.
“One of the things that I’ve always said to my team is to be hungry and be curious. Working in a different environment could be a great start, then find the right mentor that helps you to grow… and keep studying. Sign up for different courses, open your mind, read books, and dream big. Everything else will come next,” says Fuzio.
David Boyle, Northside Group
David Boyle cut his teeth at Michelin Star restaurants in Dublin and Kilkenny, before working at Corrigans Mayfair in London. After moving to Victoria, he worked at Matt Germanchis’ Pei Modern, The Lake House in Daylesford, Ôter, and Alejandro Saravia’s Pastuso and Farmer’s Daughters. Earlier this year, he stepped into the executive chef position at Melbourne’s Northside Group.
“Being consistent is extremely important to your progression. The worst thing is to have a chef come in really focused and motivated one day then come in the next and be a total mess. Keep your eyes open and watch what’s going on around you. Oftentimes, kitchens are short staffed, and you might get thrown in on another section, so always try to learn as much as you can about the sections around you so when that inevitably happens, you’ll be ready,” says Boyle.
“Taste your food and be self-critical. Have the restraint not to send a guest something if it’s not right. Chefs are often harsh critics towards other restaurants’ food but in the heat of the moment don’t pull themselves up on their own mistakes. If you wouldn’t be happy getting the food, don’t send it,” the chef concludes.
Eleftheria Amanatidis, Eleni’s Kitchen and bar
Eleftheria Amanatidis’ family has a significant, multi-generational history in Yarraville’s
food scene. After her parents moved from Greece and settled in the Melbourne suburb in the 1960s, they opened a Greek taverna, which quickly became a social hub for the community. Looking to continue her family’s tradition of providing community centric Greek food, Amanatidis opened Eleni’s Kitchen and bar with her sister. Like their parents’ restaurant, it quickly became a beloved local hotspot. Amanatidis encourages young people, especially women in the industry to “just go for it”.
“The hospitality industry is such a great learning and life experience. You meet so
many different people from all different walks of life. It gave me a lot of confidence
and taught me how to stand up for myself and be confident in who I am. Whether it’s a
career change like it was for me or if you’re just starting out, just do it and take every
opportunity as it comes.”
Vaughan Mabee, Amisfield
Vaughan Mabee is considered among the world’s best chefs. The chef boasts experience at globally renowned restaurants like three Michelin-starred Martin Berasategui and Copenhagen’s Noma. Since joining Amisfield in 2012, the chef and co-owner has garnered a reputation for his use of locally foraged and hunted produce, and creative service. Mabee says chefs who are new to the industry need to “be a sponge to take everything in”.
“Everyone talks about work-life balance, but when you’re young, you really need to involve yourself as much as you can so you can learn as much as you possibly can. Being a chef is not an easy job, whatever direction you go, whether it’s fine dining or other angles. When you’re young, you need to put in the work, and you really need to be open to learning every little thing,” says Mabee.
“I think if I could go back in my career, maybe I would have travelled a little bit more. I did work quite a lot around the world, from the States, to Spain, to Copenhagen. But I think I would have spread my wings even more.”
Caitlin Koether, Molli
Caitlin Koether is one of Australia’s leading fermentation experts. The Mulberry
Group recently appointed Koether group head of fermentation and executive chef
for Molli Abbotsford. For chefs beginning to learn about fermentation on a small
scale, she recommends learning every detail about the process.
“You learn this as a chef: If you don’t repeat the behaviour and the action multiple
times and don’t develop the muscle memory around the nuances, you won’t get the
full scope of the learning process. So when you start, make sure you’re doing the
same thing repeatedly so that you can learn the variations between each batch.
Once it becomes a natural process in the back of your brain, then move on to the
next one,” advises Koether.
“For chefs starting out, I wouldn’t recommend doing Koji ferments because they’re
very labour intensive. You have to have a lot of knowledge around the processes. But
if you take vegetables and stick them in a 3 per cent salt solution, you’ll be producing
litres of pickles in no time.”
Natali Mikailoğlu, Sydney Seaplanes
Ex-Boathouse chef Natali Mikailoğlu joined Sydney Seaplanes earlier this year as head chef. She offers two pieces of advice to young chefs looking to advance their career. Firstly, she says, it’s important to become accustomed to challenges and to enjoy overcoming them.
“Every day, there will be something new, something different, a curveball nobody was expecting and often, it’s not even related to your food. Enjoying the day-to-day challenges allows you to become a problem-solver. It’s a great skill to have in any profession or industry, and in hospitality, when paired with a love of food and creating, it will help you to remain calm even during the most stressful of services,” says the chef.
Secondly, it’s crucial to be aware of details: “Major, minor, and everything in between. Whether it’s something on (or not on) the plate, or a process in the kitchen. It demonstrates a broader understanding of the kitchen, the team, what you’re trying to achieve with your food and the whole venue experience for the guests.”
Samuel Rozsnyoi, Chiswick
Samuel Rozsnyoi has enjoyed stints at Saint Peter, Fred’s, Café Paci, and Dear Saint Eloise. Now, he’s taken over as Chiswick head chef under the eye of Matt Moran. Moran, who had been watching Rozsnyoi’s progression for some time, said he brought the chef on board because of his passion for produce-driven cooking and his talent for creating dishes that are both refined and approachable.
“Go above and beyond. Initiative is priceless, and everyone will notice if you’re going out of your way and working hard. Hard work is the recipe for success,” says Rozsnyoi.
This article was originally published in the May/June edition of Hospitality Magazine. Subscribe here.
