For its December event the Bailliage went to Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand to see the fresh talent shortly emerging onto Wellington's hospitality scene.

Members and their guests, together with Her Excellency Sylvaine Carta-Le Vert, Ambassador of France to New Zealand, were prepared a ten-course “dégustation” menu by the school’s Diplôme Avancé Culinaire students who would be going into the industry for a 10-week internship programme next term.

During the evening Bailli David Shackleton was interviewed by Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand to see what he thought of the menu and what advice he would give to students wanting to succeed within the food and hospitality industry.

LCB: What did you think of the degustation? Did you have a favourite dish?
DS: It was hard to pick a favourite - every dish was sensational! All who attended were so complimentary about the flavours, textures, precision and overall quality of each dish. Many of the senior members of the Bailliage have had the opportunity to eat at a lot of great establishments all around the world and the food we had tonight was some of the finest we’ve ever eaten. It was superb! I think this is due to the discipline, professionalism and vigour of the school and what the name Le Cordon Bleu stands for.

LCB: What did you think about the service of the evening?
DS: The food in any well-established restaurant can be good to great, but the service of the restaurant is often wanting. What really impressed us about the evening was the timing between the dishes being cleared and the next dish being placed straight away. The service staff were prepared and got the food out quickly and efficiently in an unhurried and friendly manner. Non-culinarians don't recognise the attention to detail and the amount of preparation that goes into every dish. I think the fact that the students devised the dish, created, presented and talked about it too, is a huge credit to them and the school. 

LCB: Any advice you would give to students who are starting out in the industry?
DS: There has always been a huge demand for good talent within the hospitality industry. You can go into almost any kitchen within New Zealand and they'll always be looking for fresh talent to give them a competitive edge. This is a generalisation but it's fundamentally true. If they've studied at Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand then they have the fundamental skill set needed; the only other attributes required is perseverance and the willingness to be a hard worker. If students starting out have these three attributes, they will go far.