1975 First Job; Sydney Royal Easter Show, worked for ‘Suttor House Catering’, placing bread into auto toasting machine, for steak sandwiches, for 12 days ( thousands of sandwiches!!!)
As a result of this early start, I also became involved, as a junior, in several Car, Boat, Caravan, Home and Agricultural Shows based in and around Sydney.

Also, whilst schooling @ Marist College, Kogarah…..I was able to get a job at The Rowntree Restaurant, in Balmain, where I had an early insight into vegetarian cooking. At this time, I also had the opportunity to work @ ‘Lucio’s Italian Restaurant’, as it was right next door to the vegetarian restaurant, in Rowntree St, Balmain.

After schooling finished (year 10), I continued to work with Suttor House for many years, including a stint @ ‘The Rawson’, a fine dining restaurant, located at the front gate of the old Showground, in Moore Park Sydney.
Also during these years, and every year, the same shows and exhibitions would return to the showground, for their annual event. During this time, I was able to ‘climb the ladder’, thru to being part of the management team of this well known and renowned organisation. It was during these years that I gained all of the experience and knowledge that I needed to decide that my future was in food and (mobile) catering.

Some other experiences during this time included;
*   Owning and operating several mobile catering units(food vans) employed and self employed
*   Catering Manager for major events including concerts, car & bike races (Mt Panorama) Indy Bar & Grill (Surfers Paradise)
*   Major function Catering incl. Kings School Annual Ball @ Royal Hall of Industry, Sydney Showground for 2700 persons! (8 HUGE buffets, 40 chefs, 200 wait staff etc)
*   Executive Dining and Boardroom Catering
*   Catering Manager, Melbourne Royal Show for’ Richard Stevens Catering’

Following my 11 years at Suttor House, I went into club and hotel catering, on the southside of Sydney. Starting with 1 hotel, providing snack bar and ‘pub grub’ meals, I grew the business until we were responsible for catering at 11 hotels and clubs, all within 15km radius of home. Services including Snack Bar operation,’ Pub Grub’ and Bistro meals, Function Catering at all venues, Restaurants within clubs and hotels, Golf Club catering, including Cart service to players on course, Halfway catering, Marquee catering for Pro Am fixtures and numerous major events within all of these venues. Also, within this period, we provided for many many Apex, Lions and Rotary Club dinners and functions. Weekly dinners for 22people thru Christmas Functions for 500. Needless to say….this was an insanely busy period where I learned lots!

Next, was the Restaurant & Nightclub catering @ ‘Hill St’ Nightclub in Hurstville, Sydney. At this venue, for 3 years, it was not un common to serve upwards of 300 meals(to order) in a 3 hour period. Continued success at this venue led to my relocation to Gold Coast, when the owner of ‘Hill St’ purchased ‘The Coolangatta Hotel’ and I was Catering Manager for 3 years. (Snack Bar, Restaurant, Function and Nightclub Catering)

After this experience, I turned my skills to my first wholly owned and operated restaurant/café/takeaway called ‘Fish and Chips On The Beach’ at Coolangatta. It was during this period that I fell and sustained 7 fractures in my spine and had to take some 2 years of recovery time, to get back on my feet, literally.

Most recently, I have spent 10 years @ The Abbey, performing catering duties for over 500 weddings. Also, during this time, owned and operated 3 takeaway food shops on the Gold Coast and Northern NSW.