HTN Apprentice Chef Laura Wilson, Margan Estate Wines
From a young age I have always enjoyed not only eating food, but helping cook it as well. I was excited at the idea that you could create so many different meals from one ingredient, expressing your feelings on a plate. After doing work experience through school, I gained a job as an apprentice chef at Peppers Anchorage Resort in Port Stephens. It was there that my dream of becoming a chef was made reality. I trained under some great chefs who encouraged me to follow my passion.
After a year and a half of hard work I then moved on to the Hunter Valley – a food and wine region where I began working at Margan Estate.
Margan has opened my eyes to a whole new way of cooking, working with the company’s philosophy of ‘Estate grown – Estate made’. There is no better feeling than walking to the garden and picking fresh fruit and vegetables, having to hand wash the dirt off them yourself, and collecting eggs that are so fresh, you can still feel the warmth of them just being laid.
Working alongside incredible chefs in a small kitchen of 4 has given me the opportunity to refine my skills, learning new things every day. Throughout my whole apprenticeship I have had a flair and love for pastry. I love seeing the happiness on peoples faces when they eat my desserts, especially my cakes. I have only recently begun making specialty cakes for friends birthdays, which take an immeasurable amount of time and effort – however the final result is definitely worth it. I plan to start a pastry qualification as soon as possible and hope to do extra chocolate, sugar work and cake decorating courses.
Once I finish my apprenticeship with HTN I hope to travel the world, work with great chefs and gain as much experience as I can. I would encourage everyone who has a passion for food to start an apprenticeship. It brings on so many opportunities and will follow you anywhere in the world you want to go – as people will always need to eat.