Wagga RSL chef apprentice Mackenzie Mitchell in action. Photos: Adam Drummond.
Mackenzie Mitchell is the first to admit she gets bored easily.
It’s not a trait that lands everyone on a trajectory to success, but now in her third year as a chef’s apprentice for Wagga RSL she has to concede – it’s worked out pretty well for her.
“I’m really enjoying it,” she says.
“No regrets.”
The traditional route of academia proved a poor fit for the 20-year-old from Coolamon, who ditched school at the start of year 11.
“I wouldn’t say becoming a chef was always my goal; I just knew school wasn’t for me any longer,” she says.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I had always been into cooking – baking in particular.
“I grew up in a very food-oriented household, so I thought I’d give cooking a go. Turns out I really like it.”
Mackenzie started handing out resumes and caught the attention of Scott Clapham, who decided to give her a shot at the small cafe in Lake Albert where he ran the kitchen.
Her potential was evident, so when he became Wagga RSL’s catering manager, Scott brought her over to develop a range of new skills in a club setting.
Three years later Mackenzie is excelling in her apprenticeship, which she has found to be an effective cure for her restlessness.
“I enjoy the creativity,” she says.
“I get bored of cooking the same things over and over … They let me trial things here at the RSL. Some things don’t work out at all and that’s OK; it’s all a learning curve.
“The other day I made lemon curd and white chocolate brioche scrolls. I must have made the dough wrong because they didn’t rise. The chefs ate them in the kitchen. They tasted good, but only the top-notch stuff goes out to the customers.”
On the other hand, a white chocolate caramel slice she whipped up from “some random recipe” sold out in a day, and her carrot cakes – a staple in the cafe display case – always go down well.
Mackenzie can also hold her own at ‘the pass’ during the RSL’s peak times. Friday and Saturday nights see upwards of 370 plates go out to customers.
Running the pass requires a heightened sense of timing, organisation, an awareness of the critical path and resilience to high pressure – all of which suits her just fine.
“You’re sort of in charge of coordinating the kitchen,” she explains.
“You’re plating up, telling the different sections what meals need to go on, if they need to hurry … It can be stressful at times. But I kind of like it.”
Wagga RSL chef apprentice Mackenzie Mitchell next to a tray of carrot cake slices.
Less than two months from completing her TAFE course and 10 months shy of completing her apprenticeship (if Wagga RSL doesn’t fast track the timeline) Mackenzie’s chef career is looking bright.
There has been talk of a junior sous chef position at the club, and the budding chef is also interested in honing her skills overseas.
“I have also always been interested in travel,” she says.
“It would be cool if I could find a way to combine that with my love for cooking.”
Mackenzie is just one success story to come out of the Wagga RSL’s traineeship and apprenticeship offering, which allows people to further their hospitality careers.
Australia’s clubs are primed to be part of the solution to the unprecedented skills shortages plaguing the country’s hospitality and tourism industries, according to Scott.
He says that the RSL’s traineeship and apprenticeship program was geared toward establishing the club as a topnotch training platform for the whole industry.
“There’s no other venue quite like ours; we have the cafe, the restaurant, room service and we cater for all kinds of events. This range of offerings means our trainees and apprentices can gain experience in any number of disciplines,” he says.
“They’re not sitting here on a deep fryer frying schnitzels, reheating things or refreshing the buffet either. The club wants to alleviate some of the pressure on the industry by turning out smart, professional hospitality staff. We want to teach them the right techniques and the proper way to do things so that they can better themselves and help the industry as a whole.”
Mackenzie with catering manager Scott Clapham.
Scott says it’s time for businesses to contribute to ending the industry shortages threatening to cripple many operations – but it will require thinking outside the box and looking to under-tapped resources for staff.
“I’m willing to give everyone a shot no matter their experience or background,” he says.
“I have taken on kids with disability, mature aged apprentices, international students …
“Simply put, if you want to learn and you’re reliable, we want to hear from you.”
Wagga Wagga RSL traineeships and apprenticeships run for two to three years. Visit the website for more information or to apply.
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