Working as a Chef at MinRes for the past 15 months, Steven has made a noticeable impact on the quality of the food and the employee experience around it, always bringing a fun twist to his work. Using his hidden talent in fruit carving, Steven goes above and beyond to deliver spectacular creations that bring joy to special occasions on site. Check out his Halloween creation!
Steven is what's known as a floater, usually spending only a few swings at each site before moving on. He uses his skills to inspire our talented chefs to think about different ways to make the food experience even better for our employees.
Steven's passion for his work sees him put in a lot of extra hours to get results. On his R&R he is known to ask lots of questions about his next assignment, taking stock of the challenges that lie ahead. What materials will he have available? Will he have access to any spare budget? What special skills will the chefs he'll be working with have?
He doesn't just improve the quality of the food; he improves the whole experience. Through the presentation, he aims to excite, making MinRes’ dining experience better than any other company. This has led to increased staff morale. His American BBQ night at Wonmunna and Halloween night at Phil's Creek are just two examples of this.
We recently sat down with Steven to find out more about the man behind the MinRes Marvel.
Please describe your career journey including companies and places you’ve worked and any career highlights?
I began working in the mining industry almost a decade ago with Sodexo and ISS. I always found myself feeling most at home working in the kitchen and getting the chance to cook. It was this that led me to qualifying as a chef in mid-2017. I haven’t looked back since, and I'm still enjoying the process and the challenge of working in the kitchen. I joined Mineral Resources in May 2021.
Tell me about your current role?
As a MinRes Chef I work in camp kitchens preparing meals for our site-based workforce. My current role sees me spending a limited amount of time at each site before moving on to the next. I enjoy having the opportunity to cook for so many people across different sites.
Why did you join Mineral Resources? What was it that attracted you?
I was working as a chef at another mine when one of the residents told me about the high-quality food this was being offered at Mineral Resources. I was particularly impressed by the Friday night seafood buffet. I couldn’t believe that another mining company had such an impressive offering. From what I had heard it sounded like the best catering in the mining industry. It was at that moment that I decided Mineral Resources was the company for me.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The things I enjoy most about my work are the fast-paced environment and the creativity I am allowed to apply. I also love getting to work with other passionate chefs who grow from each other. By having healthy competition when cooking and displaying quality food, we inspire each other to do the same or better. It is the residents who win in the end with a delicious meal! It's the pride I get from my work that makes me enjoy it so much.
What has been the highlight of your career to date?
The highlights for me have always been theme nights. I love nothing more than being able to go outside the box when displaying food. There are two nights that stand out for me in particular. For the first American BBQ theme night at Wonmunna, I had the opportunity to work alongside the amazing Chef Mhika. Together we built a large light up menu, which really made the display pop. Halloween at Phil's Creek was another highlight. We built a large pumpkin, pinning it with oranges and kiwi fruits, and made small jack-o’-lanterns to accompany it. The pumpkin and letters were made from the broccoli foam boxes.
