A cooking experience

Ally Simes from Hospitality Group Training at North Lake Senior Campus

Our Certificate II in Kitchen Operations students have started a partnership with Ally Simes from Hospitality Group Training.

At an interactive cooking demonstration this week Ally casually talked about her career and, in doing so, highlighted the exciting possibilities in hospitality.

For Ally it all began with a school-based apprenticeship in 2010 with Hospitality Group Training after doing work experience at Joondalup Resort. She was a full-time apprentice at Breakwater in Hillarys and worked there for four years before heading off to Europe after gaining her Certificate III in Commercial Cookery in 2014.

Then came an exciting role at Crown as a Chef De Partie often working at huge events. During another trip overseas Ally worked at a summer camp near New York in the USA teaching kids to cook. She started her own mobile cooking school after returning to Australia.

Her current role as Chef Ambassador with Hospitality Group Training comes after a successful, prize-wining time at The Hen in the Swan Valley. Ally’s job now involves working in schools and mentoring apprentices.

She said hospitality is a 24-hours-a-day seven-days-a-week industry with many roles. Ally also emphasised the importance of gaining qualifications along the way. “You can do a lot with one piece of paper,” she said, “It can be a high-adrenaline job, fast, stressful, exciting and very rewarding.”

Ally made pasta with vegetable ragu explaining techniques and stages as she went along.

There was also an important hint that could save a bit of work at home.

“Leave the skins on carrots that’s where the nutrients are,” Ally said, “I don’t peel potatoes either.”

The program with Ally will continue.

SIT20416 Certificate II in Kitchen Operations offered by North Lake Senior Campus in partnership with IVET Institute Pty Ltd RTO Code 40548