Trading places is food for thought
A FORMER Saltus Grammar School student is one step closer to realising his dream of working in some of the best kitchens in Europe.
Benjamin has spent the past three summers working under the guidance of chef Serge Bottelli at the Tucker’s Point Club and applied for the internship which was advertised about two months ago.
Teresa Chatfield, director of finance for the MEF Group, said Benjamin was the ideal candidate as he was driven and eager to learn more about the industry and had built up a good rapport with Chef Bottelli and his team at Tucker’s Point.
She added that even though the MEF Group had sponsored about 25 similar exchanges, mostly to Italy, this was the first exchange with Austria — and it also marked the first time a student from Austria has come to Bermuda to complete an internship programme.
Exchanging the snow-covered Alps for Bermuda’s pink beaches, Magnus Walch has spent the last four weeks working in the kitchens at Tucker’s Point.
He and Benjamin became instant friends and the two will have the opportunity to work together once Magnus returns home in two weeks’ time, because Benjamin will be working at the Hotel Theodul in Lech am Arlberg in Austria — the hotel owned by Magnus’ family.
The 15-year-old Austrian is a first-year student at the exclusive Ski Hotel Management School in Bad Hofgastein in Austria, and is required to spend eight weeks working as a chef, waiter or receptionist as part of his studies.
The idea of an exchange came about after Mrs. Chatfield and her family spent a holiday skiing in Austria — ironically, the skiing instructor was Magnus’ father Dietmar.
Mrs. Chatfield added: “Serge’s background and training as a chef from Europe means he is more than qualified to train young interns through the basics needed to have a strong grounding in the kitchen.”
Benjamin, Magnus and another summer student, Michelle Cannonier, work at Tucker’s Point during lunch while also helping with beach barbecues in the evenings and special events such as the recent July 4 celebrations.
Chef Bottelli added that he is also teaching the youngsters how to cook in the dark — following the blackout to the East End earlier this week.
Mrs. Chatfield explained that in the past students were always sent to Italy, and she was excited at the prospect of having future exchanges with Austria.
She said the exchange programme was started by MEF founders Emilio Barbieri and Gioacchino diMegelio in the 1970s, while today the group’s director of training, Dale Butler, takes an active role in the programme.
She added that the exchange programme gave young Bermudians a unique opportunity not only to broaden their horizons by working in European hotels, but also by learning from some of Europe’s top chefs.
As for the young Austrian, this is his first work experience in an English-speaking country where the lifestyle and food are completely different from what he is used to.
And it shows. Magnus told the Mid-Ocean News <$>he had fallen in love with the ocean and learned to cook and enjoy various fish dishes — something he hoped to share with his family on his return home. “I love the sea, and my colleagues here have been very friendly and helpful. I learnt a lot in the kitchen and my English is also much better,” he said.
Even though he loves working in the kitchen, Magnus said he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a professional ski instructor.
Meanwhile, when Benjamin returns to Bermuda in six weeks’ time, he plans to return to Tucker’s Point to work while applying for a scholarship from the MEF Group with dreams of attending a culinary college in Europe.
The youngster, who has family in the restaurant business in Bermuda, has spent the past three summers working at Tucker’s Point and said he always knew this was what he wanted to do.
“I’m just really at home in the kitchen,” he added with a broad smile.
