Having only just turned 21, it has to be said that Aaron Warner is a young man destined for great things, at least in the culinary world.
It was only several months into his Year 11 at high school when Aaron finally admitted to himself that what he had suspected for a while was actually true – academic study and senior high school were definitely not for him.
Not being the type of person to sit back and waste his or the education system’s time, Aaron met with a career advisor and with the support of his school, embarked on an ambitious plan to find and establish himself in a rewarding career, dismissing the pundits who deemed he was potentially blowing his chances to do so by not staying on and completing his senior secondary studies.
Aaron’s plan was simple; he would make himself available for work experience in a number of vocational fields that had caught his eye and he felt may hold the key to a prospective job for him. That way, he believed, he would gain first hand knowledge of a number of vocations and should a particular career choice leap out at him, he would then work towards gaining permanent employment within that industry.
First cab off the rank was a stint doing work experience on a number of carpentry placements, in several different contexts including cottage building, production cabinetry and traditional furniture making. The use of practical skills during his carpentry work experience appealed, but still there was something missing and after talking it through with his class co-ordinator at school, Aaron decided the building trade wasn’t for him. Hearing that a new restaurant ‘Sage’ had just opened in his hometown of Canberra, and that the new owners had an especially good name as employers, Aaron decided that a restaurant would be the next place to check out careers. “As soon as I stepped into the kitchen my mind was completely blown away,” Aaron says. “There was static in the air that inspired and invigorated me and from that moment I knew I wouldn’t be looking any further. I just knew I had found my vocation.”
back to topBy the end of his first week of work experience both Aaron and the Head Chef and owner Tom Moore, had come to an agreement that he would be signed up as the new apprentice chef. “The deal was sealed there and then and in May 2001 I officially left school and started my apprenticeship,” Aaron explains. “Tom and I have a great working relationship; he is a skilled teacher and has been a very practical mentor for me. Tom was an award winning apprentice himself so getting into competition work just sort of happened for me.”
Even as an apprentice, the then 16 year old quickly became an asset to his employer, evidenced in 2003 when Aaron secured third place in the Restaurant and Catering Association Apprentice Chef Cookery Competition. Nonetheless, this feat was significantly eclipsed in the following year when Aaron not only won first place in the same competition but also took out first place in the Australia Hotel Association Apprentice Chef of the Year award and first place in the Canberra Southern Cross Graduate Cooks Award. “The last award had a fantastic prize attached to it that now allows me to spend 14 days in Hong Kong visiting some of the finest, most prestigious restaurants on the island studying different styles of cooking,” Aaron says excitedly. “During my stay in Hong Kong I will be attending the HOFFEX event as a VIP guest - how amazing to represent Australia in this way!”
back to topFrom Hong Kong, the 21 year old travels to the other side of the world to take up a position in London, England, working in a restaurant owned by Gordon Ramsey, one of Great Britain’s highest profile, celebrity chefs. “I knew that I couldn’t just sit back and bask in my successes to date. These are very early days for me and it’s important that I continue to work hard to build up my experience and career,” Aaron states with certainty.
Passionate about European cooking, the newly qualified chef looks forward to visiting small provinces throughout Europe, sampling the wide diversity of cheeses and meats and experiencing culinary delights that have been hundreds of years in the making. “However, despite the fact that I will no doubt enjoy myself in Europe, my aim is to still come back to Australia,” he says. “I particularly love Canberra and plan to set up my own restaurant one day,” he adds passionately.
Aaron believes that his success this far can be attributed in no small way to the constant encouragement of his employer Tom who indentured him from May 2001 through to his graduation in December 2004. “Sage had been opened just one week when I joined the team and so I am sincerely grateful to Tom for taking me on straight out of school and sticking by me all this time and especially for encouraging me to compete in all these awards,” Aaron says appreciatively. “Undertaking a New Apprenticeship was a turning point in my life – it is really a challenge to think about who you are and what you want to achieve in your life. There are lots of different ways to be a success and be true to your own aspirations. I am lucky that I have had people in my life who believed in me and supported my career choice and great people both at school and at home who knew how to help me move forward.”
*HOFFEX has a participation of over 990 exhibitors including 22 international groups from over 43 countries making this Asia Pacific Regional Culinary Excellence Exhibition and competition the most important food and hospitality trade show in the region.
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