Olympic task awaits Kiwi catering team

By DITA DE BONI

New Zealand's first team to arrive at the Olympic Village in Sydney will be the most essential - 35 chefs, waitresses and associated staff.

The contingent of chefs, waitresses and other food and beverage staff from the New Zealand arm of Spotless Services will join their Australian counterparts on August 27 to help prepare and serve 60,000 daily meals to sporting elites when the Games begin next month.

Spotless Services, owned by listed Australian company Spotless Group, won the estimated $A60 million contract to service the Olympic Village with US partner firm Aramark last year.

As well as catering, the company will provide housekeeping services to the village, cleaning 11,650 rooms and processing 42,600 towels every day. It will supply 524,000 toilet rolls throughout the Games, according to a training manual for staff.

Spotless has 2724 staff on hand at the Olympics, and chose the 35 New Zealanders on the basis of speed and skill, according to regional manager Jane Donachy.

"We had to make some difficult decisions about who to send, and the final choice was made at executive level," she said.

"[It will be] the largest temporary dining facility in the world, seating close to 6000, and a 24-hour operation, [with] 170 items on the daily menu. It's a great opportunity to be part of a project on this scale."

Those going are not daunted by the fact they will be processing, as part of their duties, 96,000 pieces of fruit, 3114kg of vegetables and 4000kg of meat each day.

"Being a part of it all - I think we should feel like winners as well," said Delon Birch, a supervisor chef with Spotless whose regular job is in the kitchen at the University of Waikato.

"We are more used to 560 meals a day, rather than 50,000 meals an hour at peak time, so it will demand a real team effort," he said.

Kim Wilkinson, the head chef at Waikato University, is happy that the staff are allowed days off to watch different events if they get tickets, and workmate Andrew Rabbitt says cheekily that he "can't wait to see Mark Todd."

A reduced staff will stay on in Sydney for the Para Olympics, which will be "much more relaxed," according to cafeteria manager Sheena Gray.

Apart from the villages, which house 15,300 athletes and officials from 197 countries and 6500 media reps, Spotless is also responsible for the Restaurant Village at Homebush, which will service visitors to the venues in the southern part of the precinct.

Spotless Services provides a variety of catering, cleaning and healthcare services to more than 20,000 organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The company incorporated the Australasian services arm of UK-based P&O for $A300 million late last year.

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