Training

OFFICIAL OZHARVEST AMBASSADOR DUTIES – COOKING AT FLORIADE

 

WOWZA!!! This past few months have been a whirlwind of excitement and change and learning and challenges and growth. My new job is just incredible, so much diversity. Too date, I’ve worked with the Prime Minister & Cabinet to create official events at Parliament House, dealt with famous performers and entertainers in preparation for the Australia Day live concert next year, to Manuka Oval working on the Prime Minister’s XI Cricket match. It’s a wonderful blend of both the Tourism and Hospitality Industries, and for the first time ever I can say I’ve got my feet firmly planted in both camps.

  

 Here in Canberra each Spring we host the Floriade Flower Festival, Commonwealth Park explodes with colour, entertainers, Food & Wine, Crafts & Arts, not to mention the million odd beautiful blooms. The flowerbeds showcase some of the regions finest gardeners and floristry student designs, who have been set the task to create working with in a theme.

This years theme was ‘A Feast For The Senses’. Continue Reading

COOKIE’S DIARY – Pt. 14.

Each week I post another fascinating true-life excerpt from my friend & mentor’s journals while she was Housekeeper & Cook at The Flamingo, during the period 1968-1999, titled Cookie’s Diaries. Together we’ve changed a few things around & set Cookies story in a fictional Australian country town so as to protect the innocent & the not so innocent!  We hope you enjoy Cookies journey from such humble & all but penniless beginnings to owning & running the highly successful country guesthouse, ‘The  Flamingo’. To read the last chapter click HERE.

A Clever Plan

“Every night” Tilly whispered as she & Sam made their way to their suite.  “Don’t you dare go to sleep unless you’ve written every detail down & we’ll talk on Wednesday” Tilly had proved once again that it didn’t really matter what she was doing, she’d thrown herself into tonight’s events with gusto.  If I hadn’t of known her as well as I did, I would have sworn she’d crossed over to the dark side to become my nemesis.

Tilly had spent the evening undercover as a guest at The Flamingo to observe from a woman’s perspective how my behaviour was bringing unwanted attention towards me.  Presumably she was thoroughly enjoying herself, as from somewhere she had even dragged out a style of clothes I’d never seen her wear before, a deep green tartan Fletcher Jones pleated skirt & an exquisite matching green twin set with rows of tiny pearl beaded around the neckline, the effect was very modern & feminine in a well kept woman sort of way. Continue Reading