Chris the margarine carving chef!

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 7, 9 July 1985, Page 12

Chris the margarine carving chef!

Ruapehu Hotel in Raetihi has a new head chef, 21-year-old Chris Bain, an ex-air force chef who specialises in margarine carving! Chris came to the Ruapehu Hotel because of his interest in tourism. He hopes to gain a reputation for himself in New Zealand, then to travel and work overseas. "If I can get recognised while l'm still in New Zealand it will be a good start when 1 go overseas," he says. But he is not in a hurry to travel. He says he has lots of time so he plans to get all the experience he can get before he moves on. Chris began his training

as a chef when he was 1 6 at Woodbourne, Blenheim and stayed there for five years apart from time spent on training courses in Christchurch. He then spent 18 months at Ohakea where he cooked in the officers' mess and in the airmen's mess. The general training in cooking he received in the air force was very good, claims Chris. After leaving the airforce earlier this year, Chris worked in the Wanganui Hospital. Chris also worked at the Grand Hotel in Wanganui, where he says he learnt a lot1 from the head chef, Mr Steve Martin.

Chris is keen to introduce more adventurous dishes onto the Ruapehu Hotel's menu, but says he is slightfy concerned as residents of the Ruapehu region appear to be very conservative diners. Recently he put an award winning lamb dish on the menu for a week, but no one ordered it. Visitors to the region-dur-ing the ski season may be more adventurous, he hopes. This is Chris' first job as

head chef. He says he likes being in charge, even though it is a lot of worry. Chris showed off his flair for margarine carving at a charity dinner party held at the Ruapehu Hotel recently. The party was to mark the first anniversary of Ray and Iris Parr taking over the hotel. To symbolically mark the occasion, Chris carved a one-year-old child from a block of margarine.