Silver Culinary Award Shines Way to Success

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Julie Hoeta. Photo: Taken by Sandra Crosbie (Feilding Herald)

Julie Hoeta, a UCOL Certificate in Baking and Pastry Level 3 student, is enjoying the success of her second win at the Wellington Regional Culinary Fare competitions.

Julie, who is already a qualified sous chef, won silver in this year’s ‘static fruit flan’ category (it is ‘static’ as it is cooked earlier, rather than in front of the judges). She says she made the flan so many times in practice “I can make that dish with my eyes closed now.”

This isn’t the first time Julie has won at the Culinary Fare competitions; in 2006 while doing her chef training Julie also won a gold medal for the hot chicken brunch category.

She plans to start a UCOL small business management programme later this year and hopes her successes will help her start her own catering company based in Feilding, and eventually to open her own restaurant, both specialising in Maori-influenced cuisine.

She has previously managed a similar restaurant, Kai in the City, in central Wellington, and is looking forward to bringing this food concept to the Manawatu.

Julie says she knows many people travel down to Wellington especially to visit Kai in the City, as there is nothing available locally with a Maori slant, “There is nothing like that around here. So right now I’m starting by offering catering, and later on after the business course, I hope to open the restaurant in Feilding.”

ENDS

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