Maria Hunt finds time to share with us what she has been up to...
I did culinary training at Auckland Hotel and Chef Training School in 2012, where I took part and won gold at the Auckland Regional Culinary Fare. During my training, my work experience at One Tree Grill Restaurant turned into a part time job as a trainee chef. In 2013, I studied first year of a BA in Culinary Arts at AUT University and did okay (ahem, TOP student ;-P). But I decided to put studies on hold and work full time at One Tree Grill. In 2013-14 I took part in the Real Pasifik TV series with Robert Oliver, working with him to raise the profile of Polynesian food culture and into the arena of fine dining. Following along these lines, I’m really interested in switching up Pacific Island cuisine and showing off distinct flavours and produce that are typically misconceived or ignored by the masses.
Why am I taking part in Concoction?
This is a really good opportunity to experiment with my creative side of cooking, showing off the versatility of a staple in Samoa (the mighty coconut), while also addressing the deeper issues of produce, how and where it’s made available and who drives it’s demand in Western society.
I did culinary training at Auckland Hotel and Chef Training School in 2012, where I took part and won gold at the Auckland Regional Culinary Fare. During my training, my work experience at One Tree Grill Restaurant turned into a part time job as a trainee chef. In 2013, I studied first year of a BA in Culinary Arts at AUT University and did okay (ahem, TOP student ;-P). But I decided to put studies on hold and work full time at One Tree Grill. In 2013-14 I took part in the Real Pasifik TV series with Robert Oliver, working with him to raise the profile of Polynesian food culture and into the arena of fine dining. Following along these lines, I’m really interested in switching up Pacific Island cuisine and showing off distinct flavours and produce that are typically misconceived or ignored by the masses.
Why am I taking part in Concoction?
This is a really good opportunity to experiment with my creative side of cooking, showing off the versatility of a staple in Samoa (the mighty coconut), while also addressing the deeper issues of produce, how and where it’s made available and who drives it’s demand in Western society.