Student relishes Euro chance

BIG-TIME: Trainee chef Devon Wilmshurst uniformed and ready for work at Simon Gault's Euro Bar & Restaurant in Auckland on Saturday. PHOTO SUPPLIED

UCOL Wairarapa cookery student Devon Wilmshurst is fresh back from working the elite Auckland kitchens of celebrity chef Simon Gault and is more than eager to return, he says.

The 17-year-old is working towards a career as a chef and was today studying towards a Certificate in Baking and Pastry Level 3 at UCOL Wairarapa after earlier this year completing a Certificate in Professional Cookery Level 3 at the Masterton campus.

He also had, through former UCOL Wairarapa chef lecturer Damian Peeti, started working in March at Bar Salute in Greytown and early last month won an invitation to work a Saturday shift in the kitchens of Simon Gault's Euro Bar & Restaurant in Auckland.

Mr Gault, a MasterChef New Zealand judge and owner of eight New Zealand restaurants, had been in Masterton to promote his latest book titled Simon Gault: Modern Classics. He had during a conversation at the book launch offered Mr Wilmshurst a chance to work in a successful metropolitan restaurant, which the young cook had taken in both hands.

Mr Wilmshurst was assigned to the larder section and worked a six-hour shift at the Auckland restaurant alongside 13 chefs, he said.

He helped satisfy about 50 diners during his shift and spent most of his day in preparation and plating, he said, shucking oysters, making veal tartare and dicing cucumbers "to exactly the same size".

"It was awesome. I really enjoyed the prep that I did, and trying to do everything at a high standard without making too many mistakes, trying to get everything perfect," he said.

"You need to have a high level of professionalism and skill and everything needs to be perfect.

"I think I caught on quickly and the head chef gave me his number and said I could come back at any time."

Mr Wilmshurst, who started his kitchen career path with food technology at Chanel College, was keen to land an apprenticeship in a top flight restaurant like Euro, he said, but also will consider a diploma course in cookery at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Napier should an apprenticeship not fall to him.

UCOL Wairarapa chef lecturer Kiri McDonald said the opportunity offered to Mr Wilmshurst was golden and "a big deal for all concerned".

For information on cookery courses at UCOL Wairarapa, call 0800 46 8265 or go online to www.ucol.ac.nz.