One of Australia’s largest caterers, Epicure, has appointed chef Travis Dines to the role of director of culinary operations [Melbourne Cricket Ground and special events].
Throughout his 20 years with the company, Dines has managed first-class food experiences at both small and large scale events in some of Australia most iconic venues including the Melbourne and Sydney Town Halls, the Sydney Maritime Museum, Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, and the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
David Mercer, Epicure’s Victorian state manager for leisure, sports and entertainment said that Dines was logical fit for the role.
“The expectations of our clients and their patrons is extremely high. It is actually not hard to cater for a large amount for people – there are plenty of catering companies that can do that. The difficulty and skill lies in catering for a large amount of people and making them feel that they are still having a unique, personal experience – like you’re cooking for a private dinner party of ten when in actual fact you are serving 1,000,” says Mercer.
“Often we will work with some of Australia’s most notable restaurant chefs, who are frequently in awe of what Travis and his team can do. His expertise is in creating a restaurant quality dish and then delivering it to 10,000 people, without compromising any element of it.”
In his new role, Dines plans to further nurture his team by focusing on the provision of extensive training for apprentices.
“My first job was as an apprentice at the Victorian Arts Centre, delivering high quality food at a reasonable scale. I thought it was so exciting and glamorous, and that passion and feeling has never waned,” says Dines.
“Where else can you work on private dinner parties for ten people one week, and manage thirteen kitchens, serving international celebrities at an event such as The President’s Cup the next? We have to continuously innovate. Our kitchens are filled with the latest in catering equipment and technology, and I work at the most respected high-end caterer in Australia. What is not to love about that?”